Sea Turtles are Thriving While Beaches are Closed

All over the world, sea turtles are nesting in record numbers as beaches have been closed to humans.

During a normal spring nesting season, sea turtles around the world face a number of obstacles, from crowded beaches and distracting lights to busy waterways and polluted habitats. But with the pandemic keeping people away, the marine reptiles are flourishing. [Lonely Planet]

From Florida to Thailand to Brazil there are reports that decreased cruise-ship traffic, recreational boating and reduced human presence (which, subsequently, means less garbage and plastic) will result in thousands of hatchlings safely reaching the ocean.

“Our leatherbacks are coming in strong this year. It’s going to be a really good year,” Sarah Hirsch, senior manager of research and data at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, told West Palm Beach’s CBS12 News. “Our world has changed, but these turtles have been doing this for millions of years and it’s just reassuring and gives us hope that the world is still going on.”