The oil in the Gulf has become a huge threat for nesting sea turltles along the coast. And today for the first time ever, sea turtle eggs were excavated and are being transported to the east coast.
Story 2 Comments Photos Font Size: The oil in the Gulf has become a huge threat for nesting sea turltles along the coast. And today for the first time ever, sea turtle eggs were excavated and are being transported to the east coast.
One by one experts slowly and very carefully dug up sea turtle eggs which are being transported to Cape Canaveral.
It's a process that has never been done before.
And while sea turtle experts know this process is risky, it's better than sending the hatchlings into oil.
"The little hatchlings are very sensitive. They go out there to these areas. They go way out into the current, and there's a lot of oil out there even thought it has not hit the coast." says Thomas Strickland, Interior for Fish & Wildlife & Parks.
Sea turtle eggs normally have to survive predators and beach erosion. Now they have to survive the journey across Florida.
"As we're relocating them of course there are threats with digging them up and jamming the eggs. We dont want anything to disturb the embryo inside. We dont want it to become detached from the inside of the egg. So that process has to be done extremely carefully." says Sea Turtle Conservancy Director David Godfrey.
Volunteers assisted with the process, slowly transporting the egg filled coolers into the air controlled fed ex truck which transports them to their new temporary home.
"It's hard because these turtles, they will come back to this beach. They nest at the beach they were born at, so it hard to see them go and the possibility that they will not return to this beach to nest."
says turle patrol volunteer, Jessica MacKenzie
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