On the neighboring island of Kanuhura, we had a green sea turtle nest hatch! This was an amazing event as we saw about 80 green hatchlings race to the sea.
The more you know – Marine Conservation
It is important to note that we did not pick up these precious babies and put them in the ocean. I have seen many videos from around the world of individuals or resorts doing this!
This walk from the nest to the ocean is a very crucial moment for these little guys because it allows them to come back to the very same region to lay their own nest. Scientists believe this race to sea kicks in the hatchling’s inner navigation system, allowing them to imprint on the magnetic field of their native beach.
In about 25 years (for green and hawksbill sea turtles) when they are sexually mature, they will be able to find the same beach due to their initial walk race to sea. If we took this moment away from them, it may cause them to never find their way back home, therefore never laying a nest of their own.
Here in the Maldives, two species of sea turtles nest on our beaches, the Green and Hawksbill sea turtle. Unfortunately, their populations are drastically declining due to numerous human impacts. Green sea turtles are endangered and Hawksbill sea turtles are critically endangered. In addition to their low numbers, only 1 in 1000 (yes, I repeat, 1 in 1000) make it to adulthood!
My first hatching event!
Here are some pictures and videos that we were able to capture during the event. What an amazing experience!
About 36-72 hours after the hatching event we excavate the nest. This is an opportunity for scientists to take data on any findings. For example, unhatched eggs, deceased hatchlings, or stranded live hatchlings.
No live hatchlings were found, which means they all made it to sea! Within the nest, there were numerous eggshells and 5 unhatched eggs.
It was a long two days and now we are just waiting for our next nests to hatch :).
