Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K. Sea Turtle. Coloring & Activity Book. Monitoring & Protection Project.

Transcription

1 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 1 Sea Turtle Coloring & Activity Book Developed by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in partnership with LaPlaya Beach Resort Monitoring & Protection Project

2 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page LaPlaya Beach Resort beaches are an important nesting area for threatened and endangered sea turtles. Sharing the beach with sea turtles is a great privilege but we must take some measures to protect the turtles. HELP SHARE THE MIRACLE OF SEA TURTLE PROTECTION WITH YOUR CHILDREN! 1. Participate in the Close the drapes! program here at LaPlaya 2. Spend time reading to your child about sea turtles and the importance of protecting them 3. Help your child become a member of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Turtle Patrol sponsored by LaPlaya Beach Resort (see details inside back cover) 4. Adopt a sea turtle by contributing to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida sea turtle fund at or call Become a member of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida! Sea turtles have been around for more than 150 million years, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Even though the dinosaurs are gone, the sea turtle managed to live on. But there aren t as many of them as there used to be. On the beach outside LaPlaya Beach Resort, mama sea turtles come out of the water May through October for a very short time and lay hundreds of eggs in the sand. Lights on the beach at night and noisy people can cause a nesting female to turn back to the water before she lays her eggs or even keep her from coming up on the beach at all. So, please Close the drapes! The sand provides an insulated safe place for the eggs and the sun keeps the eggs warm. After about two months, the hatchlings crack their shells and it takes them about 2 days to crawl out of their nest. Once the baby turtles climb out of their nest, the two-inch long hatchlings race to the sea. Brightness over the water, like moonlight, attracts them. If they see light from your room, they get confused and go the wrong way. They can make it safely to their new home in the water --- if you Close the drapes! Ask your Mom or Dad how you can learn more about sea turtles and become a member of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Turtle Patrol! La Playa has partnered with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and is committed to sea turtle protection. For over 26 years, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has helped save over 200,000 sea turtle hatchlings with their turtle nest monitoring and protection work on Naples Beach and Keewaydin Island. The Conservancy environmental scientists and interns perform their beach runs all night long, tagging and tracking, fighting the heat, humidity and mosquitoes to take care of the nests. All you have to do is stay comfortable in your room and Close the drapes!

3 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 3 Turtle TIPS There are three kinds of sea turtles found around Southwest Florida: the Loggerhead, Kemp s Ridley and Green. There is no way at present to determine the age of a sea turtle. Some people believe they may live to be over 100 years old. Green turtles also nest in Florida. They aren t really green they are brown and yellow. They are vegetarians, eating only plants, sea grasses and algae. Even though they are vegetarians and eat only plants, sea grasses and algae, they grow 3-4 feet long and weigh over 300 pounds! The rare Kemps Ridley sea turtle is born in Mexico. Florida waters are nursery grounds where the syoung turtles grow to adults. Sea turtles may travel thousands of miles from where it feeds to where it nests. Female turtles nest on the same beach where they were born, some 15 to 40 years after they hatched. Baby sea turtles have many enemies only 1 out of 1000 baby sea turtles lives long enough to become an adult. Many sea turtles swallow fishing hooks and lines used to catch tuna and swordfish. Many drown after they get caught in crab traps or nets and they are not able to come to the surface to take a breath. Some get entangled in hook and lines and cannot swim. New nets are being developed that can let the sea turtles escape. Some sea turtles can be saved at turtle rehabilitation centers and released as soon as they recover. Sea turtles are nearsighted when they emerge from the water. They feel their way around on the beach. Sea turtles are solitary creatures and usually communicate with each other only during mating. Green Turtle Loggerhead

4 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 4 Turtle Word Search LIGHTS HABITAT POLLUTION EGGS CRAB BEACH SEAWALL SHELL NEST MOON LEATHERBACK SWIM GREEN SHRIMP NETS HATCHLINGS SAVE PROTECT LOGGERHEAD ENDANGERED

5 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 5 Loggerhead Sea Turtle Baby sea turtles are about the size of a silver dollar when they crack out of their egg shells. Adult Loggerheads can grow to more than 3 feet long and may weigh pounds. Instead of teeth, turtles are equipped with a horny beak. Loggerheads are the most common sea turtles that nest in Florida. You can recognize it by its reddish-brown color, large thick head and broad short neck. A female Loggerhead may nest 1-7 times per season and lay about 100 eggs each time. The mother never comes back to check on the nest. Male sea turtles virtually never come ashore.

6 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 6 Find two turtles that are alike.

7 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 7 Saving Sea Turtles Pick up all your litter from the beach and do not throw your trash into the ocean. Turtles may mistake plastic bags for food. If a turtle s stomach fills up with plastic bags it gets stuck and then the turtle starves. Close the drapes and turn your lights off. Be quiet after dark. Use 25 watt yellow bug lights. Do not keep baby sea turtles as pets. Never feed or attempt to feed sea turtles. Beach furniture and other equipment left on the beach may prevent turtles from reaching a suitable nesting location. Sea turtles may even become entangled in beach clutter. Put away all your beach clutter and furniture every day. Keep a safe distance away from nesting sea turtles. Keep your pets on a leash. Use fishing line, hooks and nests that are safe for sea turtles. Purchase turtlesafe shrimp from ships which use special nets that let sea turtles escape. Turtlesafe shrimp is the same idea as dolphinsafe tuna that was used as a tool to protect the dolphins. Do not touch or disturb nesting sea turtles, hatchlings, or their nests. Avoid using flashlights or flash photography while on the beach at night. Avoid disturbing marked nests and please take your trash with you. To report dead or injured sea turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at FWCC (3922) Support sea turtle research and rehabilitation programs like those at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Make a donation or volunteer.

8 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 8

9 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 9 Turtle TIPS: Sea Turtles How they sleep: Turtles that live in shallow water will dive to the bottom and jam themselves under a piece of rock or some coral and sleep there. They don't breathe while they sleep, but from time to time they wake up and swim to the surface to get air, and then go back down to sleep some more. They go up for air maybe once every one or two hours. Turtles that live in deep water float at the surface to sleep. Floating turtles only have to lift their heads out of the water to breathe. What they eat: Most sea turtles are carnivores (meat eaters), but the green turtle is an herbovore (a plant eater that eats sea grass and algae). Most sea turtles eat crustaceans (crabs, lobster, shrimp and other shell invertebrates), shellfish, jellyfish, Man- O-War and small fish. And talk about junk food... hungry turtles sometimes eat plastic bags because they think it is a jellyfish. Sea turtles and their shells: All species of turtles have a hard outer shell that protects them from enemies. Unlike land turtles, sea turtles lack the ability to retract their heads into their shells. In deeper comparison to other turtles, the sea turtle has adapted well to life in the sea. Their shells are very light, their front and rear legs are flippers, and their shape is relatively streamlined. They have a high endurance capable of swimming long distances at speeds up to 35mph. Keeping the sea turtle happy: In spite of the dangers, sea turtles can be saved. After many years of protecting them, some of their populations are increasing. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has protected over 2000,000 sea turtle hatchlings over the past 26 years. Help make our beaches safe for the little hatchlings and Close your drapes!

10 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 10 What s for dinner? Circle the things that are good for turtles to eat. Here are two great recipes you can make at home. What s for Dessert? How to Build a Turtle Sundae Ingredients: VANILLA ICE CREAM HOT FUDGE HOT CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM CHERRY Get a large dish. Put in three scoops of vanilla ice cream. Pour on lots of hot caramel. Pour lots of hot fudge on top of that, until it starts dripping over the edge. Sprinkle with as many pecans as you can. Pile on whipped cream until it starts to fall over. Put a cherry on top. Share with a friend, or you'll wind up with a stomach ache. Peanut Butter Turtles Ingredients: APPLE 2 TBS. PEANUT BUTTER 5 GRAPES Slice an apple in half. Make several slits in each half. Fill with peanut butter or sesame butter (available in health stores.) Attach seedless grapes with toothpicks (remove before giving to very young children) for the head and legs and stick a carrot shaving on for a tail (tuck it in 1 of the slits) Nice to serve as a lunch treat.

11 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page 11 Become a Conservancy of Southwest Florida Ready for some sea turtle activities of your own? Join the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Turtle Patrol in helping to save our sea turtles. All you need to start is curiosity and the help of your mom and Dad. During your stay at LaPlaya Beach Resort, complete the following activities and have your parents sign below. You ll get a validated Turtle Patrol Card and a commemorative stuffed sea turtle similar to the one in your room. That s it! 1. Close the drapes each and every night during your stay here at LaPlaya Beach Resort. 2. Explore the beach for a sea turtle nest and protect it. 3 Review the Sea Turtle Facts and Save the Sea Turtle Tips with your mom and dad. 4. Promise to practice Save the Sea Turtle Tips. 5. Promise to share your experience with others once you get home. Make a poster, write a report or do another project where you can suggest ways in which people and sea turtles can live in better harmony. 6. Once completed, bring this signed form to the front desk to get your free commemorative stuffed sea turtle and your validated Turtle Patrol Card. 7. Call the Conservancy of Southwest Florida to register your card As a bonus, your Turtle Patrol Card will get you 1 free child s admission into the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Nature Center, where you can visit a live sea turtle in our Discovery Center. Mom or Dad Signature OFFICIAL MEMBER SEA TURTLE PATROL LaPlaya Beach Resort, Naples Florida. Awarded for outstanding leadership in the Sea Turtle Patrol program at LaPlaya Beach Resort, Naples Florida. Name Date Conservancy Monitoring & Protection Project of Southwest Florida

12 Turtle Coloring 7/9/07 2:34 PM Page Gulf Shore Drive, Naples, FL (800) Monitoring & Protection Project 1450 Merrihue Dr. Naples, FL Protecting Southwest Florida's unique natural environment and quality of life... now and forever.