Turtles and Plastic: Rescue Efforts
Advisory: Contains language which some may find offensive.Lesson Express
Q: Why is plastic a particular problem for sea turtles?
A: Plastic bags look like jellyfish, a main food source for turtles. When the turtles consume plastic, they have no room in their stomachs for real fish.
Q: Describe some of Raoul’s injuries.
A: He lost part of his fin because it had been entangled in plastic. He had a fish hook caught in his throat. He had digested fishing line in his intestines.
Q: What was so significant about Raoul’s age?
A: He is about 30 years old, which is breeding age. He is able to reproduce. There are very few turtles who make it to be this old.
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In Race to the Shore: Green Turtles, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes how hatchlings emerge from under the sand on Raine Island off the Great Barrier Reef. A lone hatchling is easy prey, but soon many others join it. As they race to the shore, herons prey upon them. One lucky turtle is able to fight back and escape the jaws of the heron. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
In Race to the Shore: Green Turtles, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes how hatchlings emerge from under the sand on Raine Island off the Great Barrier Reef. A lone hatchling is easy prey, but soon many others join it. As they race to the shore, herons prey upon them. One lucky turtle is able to fight back and escape the jaws of the heron. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.