These series's always use a common Family friendly theme.. The
Gilligan's island, And Peter pan Series are two currently running
series. The Popeye, Christmas, Monster Mash, Wizard of OZ , and The
Looney Toons Series's were all greats from the past. ) They are a
great addition to the NEFGA family.
Sandy being a biologist I felt that this themed cache for them
was in order ............
Sea turtles are among the largest living reptiles. They have scales
and a bony shell, are cold-blooded, breathe air, and lay their eggs
on land. Unlike the land turtles from which they evolved, sea
turtles spend almost their entire lives in the sea. They glide
gracefully through the water with flipper-like forelimbs and a
streamlined shell. Sea turtles frequently come to the surface to
breathe when active, but they can remain underwater for several
hours when resting.
Of the six sea turtle species that are found in U.S. waters or
that nest on U.S. beaches, all are designated as either threatened
or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Endangered status
means a species is considered in danger of extinction throughout
all or a significant portion of its range; threatened means it is
likely to become endangered.
Sea turtles are highly migratory and utilize the waters of more
than one country in their lifetimes. Thus, sea turtles are shared
resources among many nations. Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, and
Hawksbill sea turtles regularly nest on beaches within the U.S. and
all depend upon U.S. coastal waters for foraging and migratory
habitat during certain stages of their life history
Sea Turtle Tips
Duval County sea turtles are part of the northern family of
turtles who are more threatened than the southern turtles, perhaps
due to the lack of a large area of nesting sites and the cooler
weather.
Adult turtles face mostly man-made threats:
Loss of habitat.
Disorientation from artificial light.
By-catch in shrimp trawls.
Ingestion of plastic bags, balloons, ribbon and other debris
mistaken for food.
Wounds from boat propellers.
Obstacles on beach which prevent nesting.
Poaching.
Hatchlings face both man-made and natural threats:
Disorientation from artificial light.
Nest predation by animals and human vandals.
Post-emergent predation by birds, crabs and marine life.
Obstacles on beach that can trap hatchlings.
How You Can Help:
Limit night-time beach activity during nesting season.
Turn off or shield all beach lighting and keep seaward windows
covered.
Keep beach clean of trash, especially balloons, ribbons and
plastic bags.
Keep beach furniture and toys out of nesting areas.
Do not disturb sea turtle tracks, eggs, adults, hatchlings or nest
markers.
Report all incidents of disturbance that you may witness to the
appropriate authorities.
Never use flash photography or flashlights, even red-filtered ones,
at a nest site. Even lights from cell phones can disturb the
hatchlings if they are near the top of the sand.
Heed instructions from patrol volunteers if you are fortunate
enough to witness a nest emergence.
If you find a hatchling do not put it in the ocean. Place it in a
bucket of moist sand, cover with a towel and call Beaches SeaTurtle
patrols immediately.