Gulf Oil Spill Threatened Sea Turtle Hatchlings Getting a New Chance at Life?

Scientists released hundreds of Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings onto a beach at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas on Monday, July 26, 2010.  The tiny, days-old turtles headed into the Gulf of Mexico in an area 400 miles from the oil spill.  The little guys have got a lot of danger ahead of them that, sadly, a good many will not survive.  Not only must they contend with the threats in nature, they must also deal with the dangers presented by the oil spill.

Loggerhead turtles from Florida were moved to safer eastern Florida waters but the Kemp's ridley turtles were released into the coasts of Texas and Mexico as originally planned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.  Since June, between seven and eight thousand Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings have been released.  Biologists are hoping that by time the Kemp's make their way to the spill zone, the mess will have been cleaned up.

Releasing the baby turtles was a move made not without some controversy.  The biologists believe that keeping the turtles in captivity until the oil is cleaned up would cause them greater harm than good.  Some fear that releasing the fragile and highly endangered turtles into the tainted waters will deal them a major setback.

Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the smallest living sea turtle species.  Fully mature, they reach lengths of only 2-3 feet and weight around 100 pounds.  They have been on the endangered list since 1973.  By 1985 their numbers had dwindled to a dangerously low 7,702.  Since the oil spill, 638 sea turtles have been found dead.  A staggering 524 of those turtles were Kemp's ridleys.

For more information on the Kemp's ridley sea turtles, and other sea turtles being cared for by conservationists, you can read these articles:
Oily Future for Sea Turtle Hatchlings?
Despite Oil, Baby Turtles Being Released to Gulf

Sea Turtles Recovering After Gulf Rescue

More than one hundred sea turtles are on the road to recovery after having been rescued from the devastation in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana is caring for the sea turtles that include four Kemp's Ridley turtles that were completely covered in oil.  Employees of the Aquarium meticulously cleaned the turtles, gave them antibiotics and fluids so the endangered reptiles could start working their way back to perfect health.

Visitors to the Audubon Aquarium can see the turtles.  The reptiles will be living in their new, clean homes until the Gulf is perfectly safe for them to return to.

We are three months into this oil spill.   Between April 30, 2010 and June 28, 2010 a total of 583 sea turtles were stranded in the spill.  Four hundred and thirty two of those turtles were found dead.  An additional four died after being rescued.  A grand total of 136 sea turtles have been rescued and sent to various rehabilitation centers.  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is currently working on removing some 70,000 sea turtle eggs from beaches that are at-risk from the oil.

For more information and to see a video of the turtles see this article.  Check out "Little Dude".  He's a shy one!  They all look pretty happy and feisty in their new home, don't they?

Gulf Sea Turtles Getting Some Much-Needed Survival Help

Yesterday, I had a small update for you about Kevin Costner's "dream machines" going to work in the Gulf oil spill.  Today, I have another update relating to the Gulf oil spill.  This one is about the sea turtles that have been affected by the spill.

There are five species of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and all five are protected as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has documented some 278 sea turtles that have been stranded by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Sadly, many of those turtles died.  Federal officials have unfortunately found more dead than living sea turtles in the Gulf.  Forty turtles that have managed to survive the spill are being washed up and given special care at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Now, the staff of the National Aquarium and the Maryland state's veterinarian are preparing to lend a hand to help the endangered sea turtles from the Gulf.  The National Aquarium is already housing four turtles from the New England area that they are hoping to be able to release some time this month to make room for turtles from the Gulf.

The National Aquarium works to "rescue, rehabilitate and release".  They want the injured animals back in their natural habitats so they can flourish there rather than in captivity.  They are capable of caring for six to ten animals at a time and are ready to help when they get the call.

Pneumonia from inhaling fumes, ulcerations from ingesting oil, starvation and fouled nesting areas are some of the problems the turtles face because of the disaster in the Gulf.

If you would like to read more about this development, please check out the article appearing on The Baltimore Sun web site.

Another Outrage in the Gulf: Sea Turtle Deaths

I really, really had no intention of blogging about the oil spill in the Gulf because, love them or hate them, I feel the news agencies have been doing a splendid job keeping us up to date on the situation there.

I don't think anyone, regardless of how they feel about the welfare and conservation of the environment, can say that the situation in the Gulf isn't extraordinarily serious. When you have thousands of gallons of oil spilling out into the waters endangering the plant and animal life there are few other words to describe it other than extraordinarily serious. It's an environmental disaster.

The clean up crews certainly have their hands full with the monumental job that is ahead of them.

But, this post isn't about the clean up crews, the oil companies or the economy. It's about sea turtles.

As of right now, at least 35 endangered sea turtles have washed up dead onto the shores in the Gulf coast. Yes, you read that right, a whopping 35! Necropsies have shown that the turtles are not ingesting the oil that is spilling into the waters they call home. They aren't sure what is killing them but they do have one possible suspect that they are investigating: the nets of "aggressive shrimpers or other fisherman".

The shrimp beds off the Gulf coast are currently in eminent danger from the oil spill. Shrimpers have been working overtime on "emergency shrimping sessions" to harvest as much of the shrimp as they can before the oil spill potentially wipes most or all of it out.

Investigators are currently looking into whether or not shrimpers and fishermen have removed the turtle excluder device built into their nets in their hurry to grab as much from the sea as they can before the oil puts a damper on them.

Kemp's Ridley sea turtles are some of the most endangered sea turtles in the world and they are being found dead. Investigators are gathering tissue samples and other evidence and holding in it "the chain of evidence" in the event this issue ends up in court. Marine investigators as well as state and federal investigators are working on this mystery.

There is some speculation that the turtles have possibly eaten fish that were tainted by the oil spill.

Seeing as how there isn't any solid proof the shrimpers and fishermen are responsible for the sea turtle deaths I don't want to jump to any conclusions. If time does prove the fishing industry is the culprit, I feel they have no defense. Shrimp harvesting or fishing for the seafood industry is no excuse for the deaths of these gorgeous and endangered turtles. The plants and animals in the Gulf have enough working against them as it is without even more human interference in their lives.

For more information on this you can check out the following articles: MSNBC.com & CBSNews.com. Onearth.org also has a write up about this issue. (Please note that these articles contain photos of deceased sea turtles.)