Swim Turtles Swim
When you think of a world renowned race that takes place on Patriot’s Day, what race do you think of? I’m sure “Marathon Monday” and the Boston Marathon come to mind, but after this year you may be thinking of a new race. And instead of humans running, the participants are turtles, and they are swimming. This year is the first ever “Great Turtle Race” and the course is set across the Pacific Ocean.
This event has been organized to create awareness and help save the Leatherback Turtle, which is on the endangered species list and almost extinct. This 100 million year old turtle has outlived the dinosaurs. The race’s organizers, The Leatherback Trust, hope to help restore the population and raise awareness.
Over the past 20 years, about 95 percent of leatherback population in the Pacific Ocean has vanished. This is mostly due to human activity such as fishing and the poaching of their eggs and nests. About ten years ago, over a thousand turtles nested at Playa Grande in Costa Rica, and now the number has dropped to under 100. It is possible that these turtles may become extinct within the next decade.
This is the main reason that The Leatherback Trust and 11 corporate sponsors have teamed up for the “Great Turtle Race”. Companies such as Microsoft, Travelocity, and Yahoo! are all getting there feet wet and doing their part to save the leatherbacks. Fans of this race and the leatherback turtle can also help by logging onto http://www.greatturtlerace.com/. Here you can pick a turtle that is in the race and watch its progress from April 16th to April 29th. Also on this website you can make donations to help save this species.
You can watch the journey of these eleven turtles, because they have been tagged with satellite communication devices that trace their exact location. These tracking devices will allow scientists and fans to keep track of every move they make along the way. You can also learn about different obstacles that these turtles have to face on their trips across the ocean, from fishing line and trawls to plastic bags and other debris.
The course that the leatherbacks will travel begins on the beaches of Costa Rica’s Playa Grande, where they nest, and head south to the Galapagos Islands. This course spans about 950 miles.
Stanford researcher, George Shillinger thinks that this race is going to be a huge step in helping out the leatherbacks. “It’s fascinating to consider that we are able to bring together these prehistoric animals with such cutting-edge science. The data provides a nearly real-time ‘turtle’s-eye view’ of animal behavior in relation to environmental change.”
Although there is no prize for picking the winning turtle, it definitely will help awareness for the endangered species worldwide. So before April 16th, log onto to http://www.greatturtlerace.com/ and check it out.
JJLongo
posted by PWH @ 4:58 PM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Wow.....this sounds like a really cool idea. I had no idea that these turtles were on the endangered species list. How long have they been on it? I only have one question about the blog......if they are endangered, wouldn't people try to stop them from getting caught in fishing lines instead of the public "seeing the obstacles they face"?
This is by far one of the coolest awareness promotions I have ever heard of. It's crazy to think that these animals have decreased in numbers so dramatically in the last ten years. Why would humans want to hunt them? What can be gained from the turtles? Are governments doing anything to stop the poaching? Hopefully this race will help open up the world's eyes to the issue. My only concern is how well this is being publicized. This blog entry was my first time hearing about it. Is there more awareness in areas like Costa Rica?
This post was very well organized, and started with a well phrased paragraph that grabbed my attention. I was a little disappointed, however, that more information about the race was not given within the blog. How many turtles have been tagged? Do you have to pay anything or is this event purely to raise awareness? How long does the race take? These are relatively simple questions that should be answered in the blog. It was good that you included a website so that the reader could look for more detail, but more information could have been included. In general, though, I think this race is a great idea, and will definitely help the turtles cause.
faracij6
Great topic! It’s horrible that the turtles are so close to extinction when they’ve been around for so long. It’s great that something is being done to help them and keep them from dying out. It’s somewhat surprising though very great that such large and well known companies are getting involved in saving the turtles. Maybe with their help the turtles will be able to survive longer. It’s great that you’re helping to spread the word as well. I’m definitely inspired to do a little bit of research of my own on the topic. The post is well written and organized. Great job!
This article was pretty interesting. It stood out from the rest of the articles because it has a very interesting topic. I am happy that these turtles have a chance to fight for their lives. It is very important to preserve our past, and this is a great way to go about it!
What I don't get is how the people responsible for trying to prevent animals become extinct let the turtle's population get so low? And instead of focusing their attention on "the race" wouldn't they focus more on keeping the population from dying out? It's nice that there is an organization that will involve animals, but overall how is it helping the turtles?
This is a very entertaining post, and definitely something I think I will check out. The race seems like a great way to get some publicity on such a tragic topic, and it will definitely cause people to act. Also, the ability to track the turtles among their paths should grant an interesting view into their behavior. This is a very well written and informative post, thanks for giving me the heads up.
johnser6
I think that this race is one of the coolest ways that technology can be used to create awareness for the turtles. I hope that these turtles dont go extinct. It would be a sad day if they did because they have been around for so long and humans would be the number one cause. I think that if more publicity were done on this topic it could create alot of attention for the cause. Americans seem to be fascinated with reality TV like Amazing race so why not something that actually mattered! A turtle's race to stay alive!!!
This is a wonderful way to help raise public awareness of animal ecology while at the same time promoting scientific discovery. By allowing the public to become involved, scientists will be able to promote their research in the midst of a more understanding audience. I think resource managers and conservationists should take note of the outcome of this event and use the results in formulating approaches to their goals.
Posted by J543
Your article was very well written. The "Great Turtle Race," put on by Leatherback Trust, is an extremely good idea. Their method of tracking select turtles on their journey south is a wonderfully interactive way to introduce the public to the dangers these creatures face. Being able to follow "their" turtle's progress makes the issues at hand more personal, and much more likely to push the public to care about matters that are occuring thousands of miles away. I had heard about the issues facing Leatherbacks but never about this race. I hope this event gains more publicity and continues annually.
Amy Koenig
koeniga6
This post really was interesting in that this one species of turtles has outlived almost every other species on the planet. It definitely lets us feel we should put all our energy into help protecting these guys. Is there any possible way to get the poachers to try and see what exactly they're doing? Getting the common by stander to get involved will really show a significant improvement in the survival of these species.
A great way to raise awareness of an endangered species. Also I had no idea that these turtles were over 100 million years old. It would be such a shame if they became extinct over the next 10 years especially if it is because of humans. This once again shows how we are destroying our own planet year after year and we still don't care enough to do the little things to help. Overall a great article that really catches the readers attention and pulls them into the article.
massec6
I think that this race is one of the coolest ways that technology can be used to create awareness for the turtles. I hope that these turtles dont go extinct. It would be a sad day if they did. Mostly it would be sad because humans are the big reason why. I think that if more publicity were available on this topic it could cause alot of attention for the cause. Americans seem to be fascinated with reality TV like Amazing race so why not something that actually mattered!
This is a very interesting topic. It is intriguing how these turtles are fighting for their right to stay alive. It is good that people want to preserve the past. This article was also well written because it captures the readers attention.
I had never heard of the leatherback turtle until this post but I think that this race is a great way to draw public attention to the turtle’s plight. Since the species is endangered, what has the different foundations for endangered species been doing to protect these turtles? Is this race the first event to protect this species and are there any government agencies supporting this cause? This is a very interesting topic and this post helped me become more aware of this endangered species.
I like this post a lot. You organized it pretty well. I personally feel like I learned something extremely important. It is kind of sad to know that turtles are so close to disappear. I think that you should of also come with a little more background on turtle survival, but overall, you did a great job on this blog.
Mike
Post a Comment
<< Home