Racing into the Sea

I can’t remember where I saw them, but I’m sure I did. It certainly wouldn’t have been when I lived in England, they don’t have them. But the strange thing is, Mrs Bobinoz doesn’t remember ever seeing them, although it is high on her list of things she really wants to see.

I have a vivid image of them crawling along the sand, heading in the right direction, of course. I would have taken pictures, maybe even a video, but I can’t find any footage anywhere.

Maybe it was all a dream.

What am I talking about?

The Green Turtle.

One day I’ll find some images somewhere on my PC, but for now, I will have to borrow from YouTube.

Turtles are quite amazing; the mother would swim ashore, dig a hole in the sand, and lay something like 100 to 200 eggs and then she swims off again.

If all goes well, two months later the eggs start a hatch and the race is on for the turtles to scramble to the sea before they are pounced on by one of their many predators.

Even though they’ve just been born, they kind of know that they are battling for their lives, that’s why they all charge to the sea at the same time, because they know that way at least some of them will get through.

These tiny reptiles, if they survive, and can grow to be more than 300 kilos, that’s 660 pounds, which is about 47 stone! They can live for up to 80 years.

Crikey! As we say here.

But first, they really do have to make it to the sea. Here’s some green turtles giving it a go at Ningaloo Reef, a beach near Exmouth in Western Australia…

Sometimes these tiny green turtles make a dash for it under the cover of darkness, it increases their chances of survival. Here is one doing just that, this time on the east coast of Australia, in Queensland, on a beach near Bundaberg. Yes, the same Bundaberg that flooded the other week.

Run baby, run…

Little beauties, all of them! Definitely NOT an Australian bad thing.