Archive for the ‘Sea Turtles’ Category

Jun
10

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle on beach yesterday!

Posted by in Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,Uncategorized

While on my sea turtle patrol yesterday I intercepted this female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle awkwardly flapping and slowly inching her way along the beach to the dunes to nest and deposit her eggs. What an experience to share space and be alone with this magnificent sea dwelling animal on a sunny June afternoon! At a time of so much frustration and worry for the Gulf and all of it’s inhabitants-it is so hopeful & special to see one of the most endangered animals in the world both surviving, and thankfully, recovering from near extinction only a few decades ago.

 

She must have been a picky mom because she dug a few holes and went back into the water without depositing her eggs. She was looking for just the right spot. A shot of her making her way back to the sea…

 

There’s nothing like the cool and refreshing splatter of the ocean water after baking in the hot sun! 

Find out more about sea turtle conservation at the Houston Zoo and in Texas!

Would you please share with me and other Houston Zoo blog readers one of your most memorable wildlife experiences?

Jun
07

Marine Debris: A Plastic Nurdle Hurdle

Posted by in Sea Turtles,What You Can Do

NURDLES!

How could something called a nurdle be harmful to wildlife and the environment?

A nurdle  is a teeny tiny plastic pellet typically found outside of the typical plastics manufacturing stream. Plastic pellets are a product which is used to produce a final products, while a nurdle is scrap and can also be what remains once plastic is broken down in the environment.

So there you have it, nurdles are scrap and nurdles are also a major contributor to marine debris. Nurdles that escape (they do not plot this escape, they are the end result of a degraded product) from the plastic production process into waterways or oceans have become a significant source of ocean and beach pollution. Marine life is severely threatened by these small pieces of plastic: the creatures that make up the base of the marine food chain, such as krill (shrimp-like marine invertebrate fed on by many marine species from birds to whales), are prematurely dying by choking on nurdles.

You think Texas is big? Well, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is up to twice the size of Texas and is made up of plastic and other garbage debris. Why plastic? Plastic doesn’t biodegrade – it just “photodegrades,” which means it fragments into smaller and smaller pieces called “nurdles” that soak up toxins and wind up being ingested by fish, birds, turtles, marine mammals, etc.

Follow the food chain: Jellyfish eat nurdles. Fish eat jellyfish which ate the nurdle. You eat the fish which ate the jellyfish which ate the nurdle. Effectively, you have just been nurdled. How’s that feel? Clearly not nurdlicious.

Oceanic garbage patch

Too bad nurdles are so harmful as it can actually be quite enjoyable to randomly shout out. Disclaimer: do not try this at home as it may frighten the dog, cat, kids and neighbors. Keep waste in its place and out of the oceans – the nurdles do not mean to be bad, they just are.

Tags: , , ,
May
25

Sea turtles nest on upper Texas coast!

Posted by in Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,Uncategorized

Fabulous news people.

6 Kemps ridley sea turtle nests have been detected on the upper Texas coast and a total of 82 nests statewide!

The first four nests from our neck of the woods came last Wednesday, 3 female ridleys were subsequently satellite tagged and released back in the Gulf.

Do you want to hear even more fabulous news?

After many patrols over the last several years and sand in really weird places, all of the patience & grittiness finally paid off…

ONE OF THE SEA TURTLES WAS FOUND ON MY PATROL!!!!!! Sorry, could not hold it in any longer. :)

Below is a picture of the beautiful girl found on Surfside beach! She did attempt to evade me of course. About 1 hour after I passed this area on my ATV, she crawled out of the water and two beachgoers watched her crawl up to the dunes, dig a hole, and begin to nest. They did the right thing and called 1-866-TURTLE5 and I was contacted by a NOAA biologist to respond- I flew like I have never flew before and came upon a most delightful sight, one of the most magnificent and endagered sea turtles on the planet. Everyone on the beach that day was awe-struck and thankful to be in the right place, at the right time and to be able to sneak a peek at such an amazing wild animal.

Truly a once and a lifetime experience!

We covered her with wet towels to keep her nice and cool until students from Texas A&M Galveston came to excavate her eggs and tag her.

102 eggs were excavated from her nest. Good mamma!

Release of the three Kemps ridley sea turtles. I bet it felt great to be back in the water.

You can track the movement of tagged ridley turtles by visiting the following link. The ladies tagged last week should be up soon.

REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE ON THE BEACH AND SEE A LIVE OR DEAD SEA TURTLE, HATCHLINGS, OR A NEST CALL 1-866-TURTLE5

Apr
29

Let’s make “Litterbugs” an endangered species!

Posted by in Sea Turtles,Texas,What You Can Do

You will generally never hear me say we should drive any invertebrate to the edge of extinction, but this bug is an exception. Actually, a “Litterbug” really isn’t a real bug…it’s a human. A human who apparently has no access to a trash bin within 6 inches of where he or she is standing. I know, I know, it’s so off-putting to have to walk 10 – 20 feet sometimes to the nearest garbage can. Wow, how do the rest of us muster up the energy?!

Please excuse my bluntness and irritation, but all Litterbugs need to go!

Whilst on my sea turtle patrol in Galveston yesterday I counted literally hundreds of unsightly piles of trash mere inches from the tide. (Like the one below)

 

First of all, these piles of trash are  an eye sore to those attempting to enjoy  picturesque scenery at the beach with their loved ones. I don’t know too many moms who like pictures of their toddlers on the beach with a beer can and a leaky fast food bag in the foreground.

 

Secondly, and most importantly, these piles of trash are deadly for marine wildlife. Not only do birds get entangled in balloon string and 6 pack holders, but sea turtles mistakenly eat trash bags thinking they are jellyfish. We see several wild sea turtles come to the Houston Zoo clinic annually who have ingested plastic and have blocked intestines or ones that have fishing nets or onion sacks tied around their flippers. Unfortunately, these limbs usually must be amputated.

 REMEMBER:

 ALWAYS clean up all of your trash while you are at the beach, no matter how small. Not only is it the right thing to do, but, you could also get slapped with a $200 fine if a police officer sees you.

ALWAYS bring trash bags with you to the beach or when you are enjoying the great outdoors.

BEST BET: If your trash is not too stinky, take it home with you and discard it in your bin at home. As you can see in the picture below, trashcans at the beach can overflow quickly and then the wind will carry your garbage right back on the beach again.

 

Thanks for being a proud Texan and helping to keep our beaches and outdoor areas sparkly and clean! Our wildlife thanks you!

Tags: , , , , , , ,
May
28

Beach bunnies, be on the lookout!

Posted by in Sea Turtles

seasign

 FIND A SEA TURTLE? If you spot a sea turtle during the day digging a nest on a beach in Galveston, it is likely the Kemps ridley, the most critically endangered sea turtle on the planet! To report a nesting sea turtle, hatchlings, sea turtle eggs, or an injured or dead sea turtle on the Texas coast, call toll free:

 

 

 1-866-TURTLE-5 !

« Newer Posts