A bit of a downer today....

Leatherback Turtles have a life span of forty five years some say up to as long as ninety years but two in a week is a bit sus surely!

This large leatherback turtle was washed up dead at Avoca Beach just north of Sydney. The second in a week!

These are such beautiful creatures that can live so long and grow to two thousand pounds in weight with a length of up to seven feet. But I fear this could be a case of ocean pollution and not old age. 

All turtles are the most at risk for extinction from bycatch in fishing gear, the changing climate, degradation of nesting habitat, ocean pollution and vessel strikes. We should all be concerned.

I always have a sad feeling when I see young turtles digging their way to freedom from the depths of sand incubation where there mother lays them with such care. An instinct engrained in them for many thousands of years. 

Against all odds that's what often comes to mind when I see a turtle. Against all odds.

They are so so vulnerable with only a tiny percentage of them able to survive into adulthood. So many enemies, whether it be from poachers after the young and their eggs for food, then there's the birds and other animals, as they scurry to the waters edge for safety. Once in the water there's fish after a quick and easy meal. 

They are hunted for food, as of right, here in Australia by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people under traditional hunting laws for personal, domestic or non-commercial communal needs. Although lawful it just seems sad to me.  This also includes other protected species including dugong. In some parts of Asia turtle is hunted for it's oil and it's flesh. Many, many countries hunt turtles.

And that's not even mentioning the pollution in our oceans.

We cannot see it but it's there an ever growing dumping ground of waste. I speak of plastic...plastic bags. We toss them away daily by the thousands..by the millions often taking many hundreds of years for them to break down. 

A jellyfish swimming by a turtle looks for all the world like a jellyfish of course but a plastic bag looks pretty close and that's the trouble. I have no idea of their eyesight but guess when you're hungry...you're hungry. 

It's no wonder all turtles are threatened with extinction.

Maybe we can all make the effort and use less plastic. I know I will and try to save animals like turtles for future generations to see and look at in wonder and amazement as I do...but in my mind hunting turtles has to be stopped...full stop!

If you see plastic on the beach maybe pick it up you could be saving a life.. Surely any little  helps🙏