Monday, June 27, 2011

Learning About: Sea Turtles


I promised to post the rest of our little getaway adventures- but I guess I lied, cause I have been so inspired by the awesome sea turtles we saw that I just had to go ahead and post this instead! You don't have to be homeschoolers, or even have kids to be interested in learning more about these beautiful beings.


Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Living on the coast - during Sea Turtle nesting season renders the perfect
opportunity for us to do a Sea Turtle study. Although,  you need not live at the beach to enjoy
the study of these graceful creatures- just have a spirit of adventure & a desire to learn &
join in on the fun!  (feel free to copy and use any of my pictures and information for your
personal homeschool or study with your children). I added links below for more fun!

Loggerhead:
Did you know that loggerhead sea turtles have very powerful jaws? Their jaw muscles are so
strong that they are able to crush conch shells, and even crabs! It is the mainstay of their diet.

They weigh between 250 to 350 lbs.


 
Green Sea Turtle

Green:
Do you know where the green sea turtle gets its name? It's from the color of its body fat!
Can you guess why its body fat would have a greenish tint? It eats algae and sea grass!

They weigh between 300 to 400 lbs.

Hawksbill Sea Turtles

Hawksbill:
Did you know that the hawksbill sea turtle can eat poisonous sponges that would be toxic to
other species? It is the thing they love to eat the most- sponges!

They weigh between 100 to 150 lbs.

 
Leatherback Sea Turtle
(this is the only sea turtle picture I did not take personally-
it comes from Animal Planet- endangered species)

Leatherback:
How long do you think a leatherback can hold its breath? More than an hour! They can dive over
3,500 feet deep. They eat jellyfish.

They weigh between 550 to 1,700 lbs.


*if you click on the sea turtle pictures - you will be directed to various sites with detailed
information about the particular species of sea turtles listed.

Printables: 
 Parts of the Turtle - designed by Angi Brown

Sea Turtle Word Search- by Beverly Hernandez/About.com 

Sea Turtle Vocabulary- by Beverly Hernandez/About.com

Sea Turtle Color Sheet- by Tiffany Falcão/ About.com



Save the Sea Turtle- Ways You Can Help:

1. Be careful when digging at the beach- if you are visiting a beach area
be aware that the sea turtles nest between March 1 - October 31 and
look out for marks in the sand or nests that have been marked off:

2. Most nests are about 18 inches below the surface- make sandcastles
below the surf - or high tide lines to avoid unmarked nests. Be extra careful
with umbrellas as well.

3. Don't leave beach furniture out at night!

4. Turn the lights OUT! This is critical for new hatchlings who will
unknowingly head toward the light instead of out to sea. The lights from
beach houses and condos- and even distant "city lights" can mimic the moon
shining on the water. The tiny turtles become lost and are eaten by predators or tangled up on land.

5.  Get rid of trash! One of the most important things we can do is to clean up after ourselves.
The plastic wrappers and bags we use so often can look like jelly fish or can entangle an unsuspecting
turtle causing injury or death.

6. Never disturb or interfere with the nesting or hatching process.

7. Get involved with local organizations and Sea Turtle patrols if you live in a coastal community!


Sea Turtles are endangered. Most of them are on the critical list. Educating yourself and your family
about these docile creatures is a great place to start in making a difference!

8 comments:

Jill said...

They really are amazing creatures. Thanks for all of the great info, Kelli.

Amanda said...

So cute! I love watching the little turtles swim when we go to the aquarium with little man.

Theresa said...

So cool!

I read a book about the sea turtles nesting and how the babies walk down the beach to the water! How awesome that you get to see them!

Thanks for following my blog. I am following you now too :) I completely agree that now in this economy we need to come together to support each other and come up with fun and affordable family activities!

Jill @ Sweet Diva said...

Following you back! =) My youngest son studied sea life in Science this year....and we did a Sea Turtle project at one point! Great pics and info....I'll have to show him!!

Jennifer said...

I have always thought sea turtles are beautiful creatures, but I didn't realize how fascinating the "facts" are! Thanks for sharing the information. My older daughter will LOVE this post!

Kelli @ Life in a Barn said...

I so need to print or somehow store this info. I think my kids would love this when they get a little older. Or perhaps we just need to one day make a trip down there during the nesting season. Your pictures are great. Thank you for posting this,now I know why you love them so much.

Michelle said...

We love sea turtles. We used to vacation every summer at the NC coast and always wanted to spot some sea turtles, but never had the thrill. Thank you for putting this together and sharing it!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Thanks for crediting your sources. I really appreciate the effort! Sincerely, Tiffany Falcao
(artist of the sea turtle drawing among other things)