Monday, April 13, 2015

Sri Lanka: Baby Sea Turtles (Enough Said.)


It's Monday. And I know how you all feel about Mondays. So, to cheer you up, here are some pictures of newborn and baby sea turtles we held during a whirlwind visit to the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Hatchery and Conservation Project in Sri Lanka.

To protect turtle eggs from poachers and other predators on Sri Lankan beaches, the hatchery purchases eggs from fishermen at a higher rate than what they'd receive from selling them on at markets for consumption. The eggs are then brought back to the hatchery, where they incubate in the sand until they're ready to hatch and ... voila. Newborns are then released back into the sea as soon as possible (at night-time!), but the hatchery is also home to some sea turtles that haven't been so lucky in life: those that are maimed (e.g. amputees from fishing net accidents), blind, or have some other disfiguration which would prevent them from surviving in the ocean, are cared for at the hatchery for the rest of their lives.

The one I'm holding in my hand above was born that morning. I was told that she liked the heat of palms, so she kind of just stretched out sweetly on my hand and didn't move too much, except to squirm a bit here and there, her flipper curling slightly over the curve of my palm. Love.

I was so sad to put her back in her tank! I couldn't stop looking at the photos I'd taken when we climbed back into the car. I wanted to play with them for forever.



John's was a bit feistier - attempting to paddle his way across his palm. I'm not sure that I've seen anything cuter than this.

Sri Lanka is home to five species of sea turtles: the Green turtle (most common), the Loggerhead turtle (rare), the Hawksbill turtle (named for its narrow, bird-like beak, and very rare), the Olive Ridley turtle (endangered), and the Leatherback turtle (which is considered to be critically endangered). Aside from the eggs, which are bought and sold on the black market, turtles are often killed for their beautiful shells to make jewellery, hair slides, and combs (tortoiseshell, anyone? Yep, that's where they come from, sadly).

We saw some of these unimaginably gorgeous shells when we visited some of the older babies in their tanks, which were just about to be released back into the ocean.


Aren't their patterns beautiful? It's incomprehensible to me how anyone could kill such a sweet and gentle creature for consumption or vanity.


This sweet girl that John and I held was 17-months old, but already quite heavy! We were told to gently support her neck with our fingers, and she timidly, languidly, stretched her head out from under her shell to explore while we held her in amazement.

I'll leave you with my favorite shot - a newborn that was bewildered (and probably alarmed, poor thing!) to be taken out of the water, flippers flailing.


So, happy Monday.
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21 comments

  1. This is DEFINITELY the best happy Monday post I've read in a while. SO cute!! I can imagine that was an amazing experience. You sure packed a lot into your trip!

    Lauren xx
    The Lifestyle Diaries

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    1. Haha, I know, Lauren! This was totally a random stop-off ... we were on our way to Wadduwa and our drive mentioned baby sea turtles ... I kind of squealed and he offered to stop off if we wanted to, which I definitely did! xx

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  2. Absolutely beautiful creatures <3
    I would love to visit Sri Lanka and a conservation project like this

    Tamsyn-Elizabeth
    Peaches and Bear

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    1. Hey Tamsyn-Elizabeth! Thanks for stopping by. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with amazing scenery and fantastic people - I'd highly recommend a visit at some point! There are a lot of turtle conservation projects dotted around the island, but I've read in Lonely Planet that Kosgoda is the most ethical.

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  3. Oh that last photo! They're so cute :)

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    1. I know, Stacey - that last photo is my favorite! Sigh. Wish we could have held them for longer.

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  4. Nawww, baby sea turtles were just what I needed right now :-) Adorable!

    It's heart breaking that turtle hunting is still going on though. I wish there were more places like this around the world that are working to protect them. Raising awareness is also key... I think if I were to quit my job tomorrow to travel the world, some kind of turtle conservation project would be where I would head first. A girl can dream!

    Polly xx
    Follow Your Sunshine

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    1. I could definitely see you doing that, Polly (even though we don't know each other very well!)! Maybe one day?? I'd love to visit Sri Lanka for longer ... it's one of those places that make you itch to quit your job and live in paradise for a while ... xx

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  5. That flipper! Squeeeee! So adorably cute. Just what I needed on a grey Monday :)

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    1. OH, I KNOW!!! Glad this brightened up your day! xo

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  6. They are gorgeous. This definitely made my day. :)
    What a wonderful trip you had!

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    1. It was a fantastic trip, Charlotte - thanks so much for stopping by to have a look! xo

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  7. I just...I can't...*runs off crying from inability to handle cuteness*
    Cx
    charliedistracted.com

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  8. Little cuties! It's amazing the animal encounters that you can have whilst travelling!
    Lots of love,
    Angie

    SilverSpoon London

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    1. It totally is, Angie! I know you quite a few adventures yourself! :) xo

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  9. I love everything about this: another gorgeous holiday story, beautiful pictures, conservation and baby turtles! How fantastic, and thank you for writing such a great piece that will no doubt raise awareness too.

    On a holiday to Turkey a couple of years back we were staying near a beach that was used by turtles to lay their eggs. We were there at hatching time, but sadly only saw the nest sites (cordoned off by conservationists with little traffic cones!) and not any hatching. But reading this made up for it - what a wonderful place to have visited in Sri Lanka!

    Lxx

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  10. Oh my goodness! What an incredible experience!

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    1. It was, Kate! Thanks so much for stopping by to read ... love your blog! xo

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  12. Oh wow, what an incredible experience! What a wonderful job the hatchery does - I almost cried when I read the paragraph on how they buy the eggs from the fisherman at an inflated price. It's so comforting to know that there are people out there who care so much about protecting wildlife. I love the photograph of the 17 month old being held - what an absolute beauty.

    x

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