Sea Turtle Hospital

By Mary

We went to the Shorebird Rescue Centre where there were sick and healing sea turtles. They had two kinds of sea turtles that had been rescued: Green and Hawksbill sea turtles. Most sea turtles get sick if they eat plastic bags because they mistake them for jellyfish. If they are sick their stomach fills with gas and they float up to the surface of the ocean. They get dehydrated from the sun and barnacles start to attach to the turtles. If they are not rescued they might die.

Sea Turtles dig holes in the sand to lay their eggs. Their eggs are soft so that when they fall into the hole they don't break. If the eggs are cool, they will hatch as boys. But if the eggs are very warm, they will hatch as girls.

When eggs hatch, the hatchlings wait until night to reach the ocean. They follow the reflection of the moon and the stars on the water. If there is any artificial light on the beach, the hatchlings will climb toward it and end up in people's pools and gardens and need to be rescued. Sea Turtles also get hit by boats, crack their shells and need to be rescued. Sea Turtles are endangered so please try to help keep the oceans clean.