🐢 Sea turtles increase significantly in numbers

• New studies show sea turtles are increasing in numbers at 28 locations worldwide.
• Only five sites show a decrease.
• On Sal Island off Africa, the number of loggerhead nests increased from 500 to 35,000 between 2008 and 2020.

Comprehensive study shows positive development

A new compilation of 61 different datasets from nesting sites worldwide, led by Professor Graeme Hays at Deakin University in Melbourne, shows that sea turtles are increasing in numbers at 28 locations. Only five sites show a decrease.

The increase is particularly evident in several locations. On Sal Island off Africa's northwest coast, the number of loggerhead nests has increased from 500 in 2008 to 35,000 in 2020. On Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean, a drone study in 2021 discovered the highest density of hawksbill turtles in the world.

Great success in the Gulf of Mexico

The Kemp's ridley turtle, considered to be the most endangered sea turtle, shows strong recovery. In the Gulf of Mexico, the number of nests has increased from 702 in 1985 to 17,000 in 2022.

Another discovery was made in 2023 in New Caledonia in the French Pacific area, where researchers found up to 150,000 green turtle nests on three uninhabited reefs - an area that had previously been overlooked.

Protection measures yield results

Since the 1970s, several important protection measures have been implemented. A trade ban from 1975 stopped the global trade in meat, shells, and leather. Each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers work on beaches across six continents counting nests and tracks from females and hatchlings.

Local regulations prohibit night lighting near nesting sites, as the light can confuse newly hatched young who navigate toward the waves by following moonlight. Shrimp fishing nets in many parts of the world must have special devices that allow turtles to escape unharmed.

Natural resilience contributes to success

Sea turtles are well adapted to their environment. Their armored shells are one of the animal kingdom's most effective defense mechanisms. According to an estimate, a predator needs to be about 200 times heavier than a turtle to crush its shell. This means that fully grown turtles have few natural predators.

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