World Turtle Day encourages people to help protect the turtles and their habitat.
Today, May 23, 2022, is recognized as World Turtle Day. This day reminds us how important it is to protect turtles and help them grow in their natural habitat.
There are seven species of sea turtles in the world. Bonaire is home to three of the seven sea turtle species, including the green, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles. Green turtles and hawksbill turtles can be seen year-round on Bonaire, and loggerhead turtles usually only visit during nesting season.
Sea Turtle Conservation Foundation helps protect Bonaire’s turtles.
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) is an organization that continuously works to help educate visitors and residents on Bonaire about the importance of sea turtles. STCB performs numerous activities, including nest monitoring, in-water surveys, satellite tracking, sea-grass protection, fishing line cleanup, and sea turtle rescue. There are many ways to get involved while you are on the island.
There are also other ways to help. STCB sells T-shirts, necklaces, and hats at a few dive shops around the island. Each hat has a metal tag that has an identification number on it. The tag will allow you to look up the ID number of that particular turtle to see the last time it was spotted! Find out more about the items for sale.
You can also adopt a nest. The 2022 nesting season has begun, and STCB has already recorded the first nest of a loggerhead just a few days shy of World Turtle Day!
Keep an eye out for turtles that are endangered.
As scuba divers and snorkelers, we can identify if a turtle needs help. Recently, a turtle was spotted with a fishing hook close to its eye. The sighting was reported to STCB. With the data provided, STCB was able to locate the turtle, capture it, remove the hook, and release it back into the sea. With observations like this, STCB can continue to keep our turtles safe.
Close encounters with sea turtles.
If you have been diving on Bonaire during nesting season, you may have encountered a loggerhead during nesting season. They are quite large! A few years ago, I was diving with a friend, and a beautiful male loggerhead decided to get up close and personal with us. We thought he was passing by, but instead, he swam straight towards my friend and took a small bite of his camera! The loggerhead realized that the camera was not exactly what he expected, so he swam off. Everyone was okay, including the camera, just a little surprised! That is a day I will never forget!
About STCB.
STCB has been protecting the turtles on Bonaire since 1991. They work tirelessly to make sure that every turtle has a chance to live a healthy life. Do you want to get involved? Find out how you can make a difference by visiting STCB.
