Kenya: Climate change and water sports join growing list of sea turtle threats

Summary

In Kenya, sea turtles face threats from climate change and vessel strikes, exacerbating habitat loss due to tourism and fishing. Conservationists are working to raise awareness and protect these vital marine species, which play a crucial role in maintaining coral reefs and seagrass beds. Despite legal protection, incidents like those at Anita to Watch at Diana Beach in April 2022, where four turtles died from vessel strikes, highlight the urgency of conservation efforts.

Takeaways

• 🌊 Climate change and vessel strikes are emerging threats to sea turtles in Kenya.
• 🏖️ Habitats are already shrinking due to tourism and other dangers like meat harvesting and dredging nets.
• 🐢 Turtle enthusiasts are working to protect sea turtles on Kenyan beaches.
• 🚤 Vessels, especially jet skis, are causing concussions and deaths among sea turtles.
• 🐳 Collaborating with fishermen to raise awareness about the importance of marine life conservation.
• 📉 Losing sea turtles could lead to the extinction of the species.
• 🐠 Sea turtles are vital for coral and seagrass ecosystems, helping to keep them clean and healthy.
• 📚 The Olive Ridley Project studies the impact of fisheries on sea turtle populations.
• 🇰🇪 Kenyan legislation protects sea turtles and prohibits their exploitation.
• 📈 In April 2022, four sea turtle deaths due to vessel strikes were recorded at Anita to Watch at Diana Beach.

Q & A

What are the new threats to sea turtles in Kenya?

Climate change and vessel strikes are emerging as new threats to sea turtles in Kenya.

What are the existing threats to sea turtles in Kenya besides climate change and vessel strikes?

Existing threats include habitat loss due to tourism, being harvested for meat, and getting caught in dredging nets.

What are turtle enthusiasts doing to help sea turtles in Kenya?

Turtle enthusiasts are operating on Kenyan beaches to ensure as many hatchlings as possible get a chance at life.

Why is the Honey Bee a popular tourist attraction?

The Honey Bee is a popular tourist attraction because it attracts a lot of sea sports and activities like jet skiing.

What kind of injuries have been diagnosed in sea turtles found dead?

Some sea turtles found dead have been diagnosed with concussion from vessel strikes.

What is the significance of protecting sea turtles for the marine ecosystem?

Sea turtles are key species that help clean corals and seagrass, which are crucial for the health of the marine ecosystem.

What is the Olive Ridley Project and what does it do?

The Olive Ridley Project is an English charitable organization that studies the impact of fisheries on sea turtle populations in the Indian Ocean.

How does the absence of sea turtles affect the coral reefs?

Without sea turtles like the hawksbills to clean the corals, the coral reefs are at risk of dying.

What role do green turtles play in the marine ecosystem?

Green turtles feed on seagrass and help clean the seagrass area, which is essential for maintaining a healthy marine environment.

What measures are being taken to encourage the conservation of sea turtles?

Efforts are being made to raise awareness among fishermen and the public about the importance of protecting sea turtles to ensure the health of the ocean.

How many sea turtle deaths were recorded at Anita to Watch at Diana Beach in April 2022?

In April 2022, four cases of sea turtle deaths were recorded at Anita to Watch at Diana Beach, all attributed to vessel strikes.

Outlines

00:00

🐢 Sea Turtles in Kenya Face New Threats

The script discusses the emerging threats to sea turtles in Kenya, including climate change and vessel strikes. Their habitats are already under threat from tourism and other dangers such as being harvested for meat or caught in fishing nets. Turtle enthusiasts are working to protect these creatures, collaborating with fishermen to raise awareness about the importance of marine life. The script highlights the negative effects of jet skis and fast-moving vessels on sea turtles, which have resulted in some deaths due to concussion. Legislation in Kenya protects sea turtles, and biologists like Lea Manier from the Olive Ridley Project are studying the impact of fisheries on sea turtle populations in the Indian Ocean. Sea turtles are crucial for maintaining the health of coral reefs and seagrass beds, and their loss could lead to the extinction of these species. The script also mentions four sea turtle deaths at Diana Beach, attributed to vessel strikes in April 2022.

Keywords

💡Climate change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. It is a significant threat to sea turtles in Kenya, as it can lead to the destruction of their habitats and food sources. The video script mentions that climate change, along with vessel strikes, is an emerging threat to sea turtles, indicating that these creatures are facing a double challenge to their survival.

💡Vessel strikes

Vessel strikes occur when marine animals are hit by watercraft, often resulting in injury or death. In the context of the video, vessel strikes are highlighted as a new threat to sea turtles in Kenya, with some turtles found dead due to such incidents. This emphasizes the need for awareness and regulation to protect these vulnerable species.

💡Habitats

Habitats are the natural environments in which organisms live. The script discusses how sea turtle habitats in Kenya are dwindling due to tourism and other human activities. Habitat loss is a critical issue because it directly affects the survival and reproduction of sea turtles.

💡Tourism

Tourism is the activity of traveling to and staying in places outside one's usual environment for leisure or pleasure. The video script mentions tourism as a contributing factor to the decline of sea turtle habitats. This is likely due to the construction of tourist facilities, increased boat traffic, and other disturbances that can harm the turtles' natural environment.

💡Turtle enthusiasts

Turtle enthusiasts are individuals who are passionate about sea turtles and their conservation. The script describes groups of such enthusiasts working on Kenyan beaches to ensure the survival of sea turtles. They are part of the solution, actively engaging in efforts to protect these animals.

💡Hawksbills

Hawksbills are a species of sea turtle known for their distinctive beak-like mouth. The script mentions that hawksbills help clean corals, which is crucial for the health of coral reefs. This highlights the ecological importance of sea turtles and their role in maintaining marine ecosystems.

💡Green turtles

Green turtles are a species that primarily feed on seagrass. The script explains that if green turtles were to die out, the seagrass areas would not be cleaned, potentially leading to an imbalance in the ecosystem. This underscores the interconnectedness of marine life and the importance of each species.

💡Loggerheads

Loggerheads are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles and are mentioned in the script as a rare sighting that tourists enjoy. Their presence is a boost for tourism, but the script also warns that losing species like loggerheads would be detrimental to the marine environment.

💡Leatherbacks

Leatherbacks are the largest species of sea turtle and are known for their unique leathery shell. The script notes that they face many obstacles to survival, including vessel strikes. This points to the vulnerability of these large sea turtles to human-related threats.

💡Extinction

Extinction is the state of a species that no longer exists. The video script warns that if sea turtles are not protected, they could go extinct. This term is used to emphasize the urgency of conservation efforts to ensure the survival of these species.

💡Conservation

Conservation refers to the protection and management of natural resources, including wildlife. The script encourages more people to engage in the conservation of sea turtles to protect the ocean. This involves raising awareness, creating protective measures, and working with local communities, such as fishermen, to ensure the turtles' survival.

Highlights

Climate change and vessel strikes are emerging threats to sea turtles in Kenya.

Sea turtles' habitats are dwindling due to tourism and other dangers.

Turtle enthusiasts are operating on Kenyan beaches to protect sea turtles.

The Honey Bee is a popular tourist attraction that attracts sea sports.

Vessels, particularly jet skis, are causing concussions and deaths among sea turtles.

Efforts are being made to create awareness among fishermen about the importance of marine life.

Sea turtles are protected by legislation in Kenya.

Biologist Lea Manier works for the Olive Ridley Project, studying the impact of fisheries on sea turtles.

Sea turtles are key species in coral reefs and help clean corals.

Green turtles feed on seagrass and help maintain the ecosystem.

Conservation efforts are encouraged to protect sea turtles and the ocean.

In April 2022, four sea turtle deaths were recorded at Anita to Watch at Diana Beaches, attributed to vessel strikes.

Tourism can be a boost for businesses, but it also poses a threat to sea turtles.

The rarity of sightings of loggerheads or leatherbacks highlights the need for conservation.

The Olive Ridley Project is an English charitable organization focused on sea turtle populations.

The project aims to understand the impact of human activities on sea turtles in the Indian Ocean.

The importance of sea turtles in the ecosystem is emphasized by their role in cleaning corals and seagrass.

The project is working on raising awareness about the need to protect sea turtles to prevent extinction.

Transcripts

climate change and vessel strikes are

emerging as new threats to the existence

of sea turtles in kenya their habitats

are already dwindling because of tourism

and other dangers such as being

harvested for their meat or been caught

in dredging nets

now groups of turtle enthusiasts are

operating on kenyan beaches to ensure as

many ashlands as possible get a chance

at life the honey bee is very popular

it's a very popular tourist attraction

now it attracts a lot of sea sports

particularly you might find vessels

crisscrossing our

marine world at very neck breaking

speeds

particularly you might find some of them

the jet skis are not that so some of the

sea turtles that we have found dead

have been

diagnosed with concussion from both

strikes or let's say vessel strikes

and we actually right now working with

the same fishermen to actually create

awareness that okay these marine life

also need to exist among us because at

the end of the day if we don't protect

them they'll be they'll actually go into

extinction sometimes people here are

lucky enough to get a rare sighting of

loggerheads or leatherbacks but these

sea turtles face a multitude of

obstacles to their survival

many tourists love to watch animals that

are alive

and that is a boost for our business

however if we lose species such as the

turtles

then

sea turtles in kenya are classified as

protected by legislation that prohibits

any form of direct exploitation of the

animal biologist lea manier works for

the olive ridley project an english

charitable organization that studies the

impact of fisheries on seed certain

populations in the indian ocean sea

turtles are

key species

in the in the coral on in the reef so

what happens for like for the hawksbills

they help clean that the corals and if

there's nothing cleaning their corals

then definitely the corals are being are

going to die and also for the green

turtles which feed on the seagrass if

they are dead then that we don't have

any species that is going to clean the

seagrass area and that's where we are

encouraging more people to to go into

conservation of sea turtles so that we

can protect our ocean

in april 2022 alone the anita to watch

at diana beaches south of mombasa

recorded four cases of sea turtle deaths

all claimed to be attributed to vessel

strikes