That's Turtle Power

By Emma Norman

The world’s first sponsored turtle race has begun! Well, kind of.

Satellite tracking is being used to help conservationists track threatened leatherback turtles as they make their annual trip to the Galapagos Islands from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

The race has attracted much attention with sponsors donating $25,000 each to buy the satellite tracking equipment and help protect the breeding beach from development. The turtles have been named and you can track their progress on the website www.greatturtlerace.com You can also read about the turtles’ history and egg laying stats, and even collect virtual trading cards with caricatures of the turtles. Personally, I’m rooting for Stephanie Colburtle.

The race is designed to raise awareness of the threat to the turtles and to encourage people to help protect them. Numbers of leatherback turtles have been in decline for some time and scientists estimate the number of female turtles has dropped from 115,000 in 1980 to less than 43,000 today. If the current threat continues they could become extinct within ten years.

Normally at this time of year, vast numbers of Pacific leatherback turtles migrate to the Playa Grande beach in Costa Rica to lay their eggs. They then swim back to their natural territory of the Galapagos Islands.  This year however, only 59 turtles arrived at the beach - compared to 1,500 in 1988.



The turtles’ demise is believed to be caused by human encroachment on their nesting grounds, illegal poaching of eggs, getting caught in fishing nets and ocean pollution, including plastics which the turtles mistake for jellyfish, a key component of their diet.

Leatherbacks can be found in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, grow up to eight feet and can weigh a whopping 2,000 pounds. Female leatherbacks return to the beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs and this exclusivity puts them at a great risk when their nesting habitat is threatened.

The journey takes the turtles approximately two weeks and the tracking equipment, strapped to the turtles’ backs. The purpose of the tracking is to monitor the progress of the turtles to find out where they go and why. This information will enable scientists to identify where turtles are likely to be and therefore protect these areas for turtles and other species.

The race officially started yesterday and the turtles are expected to take two weeks to reach the Galapagos Islands. So quick, pick your favourite (odds are not provided unfortunately) and see how they get on!

Image: Bunchkles.

Emma's written loads of great sciencey stuff. Take a look here.

And if you enjoyed this, why not try:

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