Featured Image: Source
By: Kira Krall
Baby sea turtles are just about the cutest reptiles we’ve ever seen. Sea turtles can get up to 1.5 feet long, but the two-inch-long babies can fit inside an egg the size of a ping pong ball.
The North Carolina Aquarium recently checked in three of these tiny baby sea turtles to its rehabilitation facility. The wee turtles will likely need a few weeks to recover before being released into the ocean.
Mama sea turtles dig vase-shaped pits in the sand, called egg chambers, and then deposit up to 100 eggs. Once the eggs begin hatching, all those baby turtles are competing to crawl out of the tiny egg chamber opening. Which means that some babies end up getting stuck 20 inches below the sand.
Image Credit: France Paulsen
These stranded babies are extremely vulnerable to predation by raccoons, birds, fire ants, and ghost crabs. They can also dehydrate or suffer from hyperthermia. Sea turtle teams across the world regularly excavate the nests so they can rescue survivors that didn’t make it out of the nest like their brothers and sisters did.
Another common turtle peril is hatchling disorientation. Once baby turtles hatch, they are drawn to the brightest source of light. Naturally, this light source is the moon’s reflection on the water.
But coastal development has caused the brightest light to switch to artificial lighting. Hatchlings emerge from the nest and end up crawling the wrong way. There are regulations on many beaches that require landowners to turn their lights off during sea turtle hatching season, but hatchling disorientation still occurs. (Remember: Keep those cell phone lights off!)
Image Credit: KyleGoesGlobal via Youtube
Beach debris is also an issue. A beach chair can look like Mount Everest to a hatchling that can fit in the palm of your hand. The tiny turtles can get tangled up and can even suffer lacerations from litter and discarded beach gear.
If you see a hatchling on the beach, keep the turtle in your sight and call your local sea turtle rehabilitation facility! The hatchling will likely need a little TLC before it’s returned to the sea.
Out of every 1,000 eggs laid, only one will hatch and survive to adulthood. By rehabilitating these endangered marine reptiles, we can help increase those odds and ensure the survival of a species.