Race for Survival

By Anonymous

In April, 14 female leatherback sea turtles swam 950 miles from Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands. For the turtles, it was simply a matter of returning to feeding grounds in the islands. But for their human cheerleaders, it was much more. Sponsored by corporations such as West Marine, and organized by several conservation groups, including Conservation Internacional and The Leatherback Trust, the event, known as the Great Turtle Race, was designed to raise funding and awareness for this ancient species, now considered critically endangered. In fact, due to factors such as destructive commercial fishing practices, pollution and development, the number of nesting leatherbacks has decreased over the last 10 years from thousands to fewer than 100.

The turtles were fitted with GPS transmitters, and as they rose to the surface for air every few minutes, the satellite tags recorded environmental data – all from a turtle’s point of view. The information will be used to help scientists better formulate conservation practices. For more information, visit GreatTurtleRace.com.

BY THE NUMBERS

100 million

That’s the estimated age of the leatherback species of sea turtle, which is believed to predate dinosaurs. The turtles can weigh up to 2000 pounds and measure up to 7 feet in lenght.

Copyright Ehlert Publishing Group, Inc. Jul 2007

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