5 Cool Facts about Turtles for World Turtle Day
Happy World Turtle Day!
Let's face it, who doesn't like turtles? That's probably what gets requested the most from our divers, and with a well-protected marine park, it's very easy to deliver. Turtles are interesting animals, with personalities and fun quirks, so what are 5 Cool Facts that you should know about turtles today?
Happy World Turtle Day!
Let's face it, who doesn't like turtles? That's probably what gets requested the most from our divers, and with a well-protected marine park, it's very easy to deliver. Turtles are interesting animals, with personalities and fun quirks, so what are 5 Cool Facts that you should know about turtles today?
Fact 1. The green turtle has green insides
You may have noticed that green turtles are not particularly greener than any other turtle species. In fact, when they're babies, they're black! The green turtle is actually named that because the layer between its organs and its shell is green, not because its shell is.
Fact 2. Turtle shells are part of them
Unlike tortoises, turtle shells are not a separate piece of material covering their backs. Their shells are their backs. That's why if they get shell injuries, it can be life threatening, because it's basically the same as a human getting a wound on their backs.
Just keep swimming!
Fact 3. Baby turtles swim for 4 days straight after they're born
When we were diving in the Bonin Islands of Japan, we visited a turtle sanctuary that's done some phenomenal work in the area. We got lucky and went there after a group of hatchlings were born 3 days earlier. Inside their swimming pool, they just kept swimming...and swimming...and swimming. Baby turtles are hardwired to swim for days into open ocean before they find floating seaweed or something to rest on, so these little guys just kept swimming in circles for the first few days after they were born.
Fact 4. Only 1% of turtles make it to sexual maturity
Crazy! Out of all the turtles born all over the world, only 1% will survive to reach sexual maturity. The majority of turtle babies never make it past the beach on their first day alive. This is why it's so important to protect the turtles that we have left, because human interference and consumption has not made things easier for these guys. Although many turtles species are now protected, boat activity, trawling and hunting are decimating turtles numbers around the world. For a population that already struggles to survive, it's a severe blow.
Fact 5. Hawksbill shells are still being exploited
Classified as Critically Endangered by the World Wildlife Fund, Hawksbill turtle shells are most threatened by the illegal wildlife trade. Their brown and yellow patterned shells commonly referred to as "tortoiseshell" are extremely popular and can sell for a high price. While most tortoiseshell products are now made out of synthetic materials, there is still a startling amount of illegal trade of their shells and products. To ensure you are buying the fake tortoiseshell from the real ones, we suggest you consider the price, is the vendor reputable and most of all the detailing on the object. Real tortoise shell is hand carved so it will have small imperfections along with a higher price tag.
Show your turtle love!
For all the turtle lovers out there, here's a few ways we can be heroes to these adorable reptiles on World Turtle Day:
Reject Turtle Products - Turtles are critically endangered all over the world, exploited for their shells and their meat. As long as a demand exists, so will a supply, so make sure to avoid purchasing turtle products wherever in the world you go.
Use Reusable Bags - Plastic bags floating in the ocean look almost identical to one of their favorite foods, jellyfish and turtles mistakenly ingest it. Add this to the long list of reasons of why reusable bags should be a part of your daily living!
Respect Turtles in their Natural Habitat - Whether you're diving or snorkeling in the Bay Islands, it's illegal to touch, chase, harass or ride them. Also if you're lucky enough to be near a beach area where turtles lay eggs, it's critical to keep a safe distance from hatchlings and be mindful not to confuse the younglings with any artificial light like camera flashes at night. Keeping a safe distance helps ensure that turtles & many other marine animals are not harmed as a result of human interaction.
Resist Disposable Utensils - From plastic straws, forks, spoons and knifes and more, the volume of plastic debris that ends up in the ocean is staggering. Sea turtles and many other marine animals ingest it, causing blockages in their digestive track. Turtles fights to expel these foreign objects, as seen in the infamous turtle straw removal video, but ultimately many cannot, leading to death.
To learn more, check out our 5 easy ways to live more eco friendly.
Bay Islands Lionfish Spearing License
As a marine reserve, it's illegal to spearfish in the Roatan Marine Park. Lionfish are the exception, since they have no natural predators in the Americas and their venomous spines provide a strong defense against potential predators.
The lionfish is a majestic creature. With beautiful coloring and amazing structure, there is something magical about watching a lionfish riding the current off the reef. If you're diving in Southeast Asia or Australia, it's always a delight to see these fish, and as professional divers, we love pointing them out to our guests.
However, as many of you know, lionfish are not endemic to the Caribbean. There are many viable theories as to how they were released, but most point to the private aquarium trade. As a result of them accidentally being released in this area, their numbers have exploded and people all over the Caribbean and Americas are struggling to curb their population.
Photo credit Roatan Marine Park
As a marine reserve, it's illegal to spearfish in the Roatan Marine Park. Lionfish are the exception, since they have no natural predators in the Americas and their venomous spines provide a strong defense against potential predators. As a result, the Roatan Marine Park Invasive Lionfish Control Program was developed as a proactive measure to get the local community, snorkelers, and divers involved in helping curb lionfish numbers in these waters.
To obtain your Bay Islands Lionfish License, you start by attending a workshop conducted by the Roatan Marine Park that teaches you about proper spear usage, education on hunting regulations, and includes an in-water skills assessment using coconuts as target practice. In the water, it's important to demonstrate good spatial awareness and buoyancy, since the purpose of hunting lionfish is to protect the reef, and if you're banging all over it and killing the coral, it defeats the purpose of this program. The Roatan Marine Park Lionfish License is $50 and includes a registered spear, the workshop and your license, which is valid for 2 years. The Roatan Marine Park normally runs these workshops twice a week from their Eco Store in West End based on interest, but they can run special workshops for larger groups as well.
We love it when we hear divers express an interest in lionfish hunting. From eating a tasty sustainable guilt-free fish option to competing in our annual Roatan Lionfish Derby, or for the thrill of the hunt while helping defend the reef, there are so many good reasons to support Roatan's lionfish program. Talk to your dive center and see how you can get involved today!
We Found Our Eco Gear!
Rejoice, Team RD-ers! After searching the streets of Tokyo for the perfect eco gear, we have finally found what we were looking for.
Rejoice, Team RD-ers! After searching the streets of Tokyo for the perfect eco gear, we have finally found what we were looking for.
After joining Go Blue Central America this year, we wanted to take the bull by the horns and implement more and more eco ideas to help minimize our impact on the environment. Per our conservation initiatives, we will have "rental" takeaway containers and reusable bags at the dive center for our guests so we can help cut down on styrofoam and disposable plastic consumption on the island. We purchased high quality, microwavable rectangular 1.8 liter containers (for those big island lunches) and circular 590 ml containers (for soups and smaller fare) for your takeaway needs, as well as forks, spoons and knives if you want to eat at the shop.
We will also have reusable shopping bags for you to use, both for light West End shopping trips and for your bigger grocery trips to Eldon's Supermarket.
Let's help make Roatan more eco, one box at a time!
3 Easy Environmental Improvements We Made with Go Blue Bay Islands
As you guys know by now, Roatan Divers joined Go Blue Central America Geotourism recently, and completed our first environmental assessment last month. We discussed the things we were doing well on environmentally and things that could be improved on, and after the assessment we decided to grab the bull by the horns and implement what we could as soon as possible (before the results even came out!). We have our next assessment coming up in a week, and we're excited to show you some of the changes we've already implemented and to learn more ways that we can promote responsible tourism on Roatan.
As you guys know by now, Roatan Divers joined Go Blue Bay Islands in partnership with National Geographic and we completed our first environmental assessment last month. We discussed the things we were doing well on environmentally and things that could be improved on, and after the assessment we decided to grab the bull by the horns and implement what we could as soon as possible (before the results even came out!). We have our next assessment coming up in a week, and we're excited to show you some of the changes we've already implemented and to learn more ways that we can promote responsible tourism and environmentally friendly business practices on Roatan.
1. We installed a water efficient shower head
We know you guys all love our hot water shower and its amazing water pressure, so we wanted to make sure that we could have a water efficient shower head without compromising pressure. We found the perfect shower head that still offers a lot of power, but outputs 1.5 gallons of water per minute at its medium setting, far less than our previous shower head which was basically an Amazonian squall falling on your head. We haven't had a new water bill since we've installed it, but we're interested to see how things change next month.
2. We set up an informational display regarding poaching
A while back, a guest bought a conch shell from a street vendor without realizing that it's a threatened species, and donated it back to the dive center. We had the option of taking it back out to sea or using it as an educational tool, and decided to go the educational route to ensure that all of our guests are aware of the dangers of the illegal wildlife trade. The Roatan Marine Park kindly donated a few more confiscated items to fill out our display better, but we previously did not have a sign explaining why these items were on display, and the items were just placed in the corner without much fanfare.
After our first environmental assessment with Go Blue Central America, we set up a proper display shelf with information regarding poaching in an effort to inform as many people about the importance of responsible tourism. We also have a poster up with the Responsible Seafood Guide and information for minimizing plastic consumption, and this has inspired a lot of conversation regarding conservation so we're very excited about where all this will lead.
3. We reduced water consumption in the bathroom
As a dive center, we have a lot of people using the washroom facilities, and use a lot of water every day between the toilet, sink and shower. We're already reducing our water consumption with the water efficient shower head, but we wanted to take it a step further. To reduce our water consumption in the toilet, we place a full water bottle into the tank to increase displacement so that the tank would have to fill with less water to get full.
These were 3 very easy ways that we could reduce our environmental impact and increase awareness about responsible tourism. Each change required very little effort and money, but will make a greater impact in the long run. While we try to be as environmental friendly as possible, it's nice having an outside, professional source offer different ideas to further increase our environmental awareness, and we look forward to continuing our work with Go Blue Central America to support an environmental responsible tourist destination.
Make sure to check out Go Blue Central America's website and Facebook page for more environmental tips and see what businesses are getting involved!
5 Easy Ways to Live More Eco Friendly
Living a more eco friendly life doesn't mean you have to change to entirely hemp clothing and only bathe with rainwater. There are a lot of small, yet mindful changes that you can incorporate into your current lifestyle that can have a big effect on the future, so let's discuss some easy ways to live more eco friendly.
We humans consume and dispose of far too much. This much is clear. Now is the time to take a stand to reduce our impact on this beautiful planet of ours in order to preserve it for generations to come. It's a tall task, for sure, but if we face it collectively and each take the time to do our small part, we will, if nothing else, slow down the negative impact we are having on the environment.
Living a more eco friendly life doesn't mean you have to change to entirely hemp clothing and only bathe with rainwater. There are a lot of small, yet mindful changes that you can incorporate into your current lifestyle that can have a big effect on the future, so let's discuss some easy ways to live more eco friendly.
1. Carry reusable bags
A lot of grocery stores have stopped offering disposable plastic bags and are working to encourage bringing your own bags or purchasing their reusable ones. This is a great step in the right direction, and hopefully more governments and stores will start offering and enforcing this as well. At Eldon's Supermarket on Roatan, you can purchase their reusable bags (we currently have about 30 because we went through a period of time where we kept forgetting to bring our own bags and they are actually wildly useful) or request a box in lieu of plastic bags, which is also an easy way for them to get rid of all the boxes that their produce arrived in.
Now, no matter where in the world I'm at, I always make sure to keep at least one reusable bag with me (at home, it's for groceries, on holiday it's for unnecessary window shopping!). There are all sorts of fun styles available these days that are incredibly space efficient, and they often are easier to carry than disposable plastic bags because you can actually carry them on your shoulder. If I'm just buying one thing that I can just throw into my bag, I'll forgo using a bag altogether.
2. Your new life partner is a water bottle
Constantly buying bottles of water is both wasteful and expensive. Buy a water bottle that you can use for a long time and refill as you go with tap water (if it's safe to drink), filtered water (you can keep a Brita in your fridge) or from a water fountain. You can get different styles to match whatever your type is. There are some great foldable (or are they rollable?) water bottles out there that are super space efficient when they're empty, insulated stainless steel bottles so that you don't get the dreaded "sweating", and even water bottles with filters in them. A good water bottle will cost you between $20 and $40 and can last you years, and if you use it 10 or 20 times in lieu of buying bottled water, you've already broken even! And before you get all self-righteous about only being able to drink Swiss mountain water spiked with angels' tears, let me remind you that Dasani is just glorified tap water.
3. Say "no" to styrofoam
Is it weird that I go to my favorite restaurants with tupperware in tow? Maybe, but I get to go home with a box full of goodies, a clean conscience, and the restaurant doesn't have to waste a container on me! Win-win-win, guys. I obviously don't take tupperware to every single restaurant we go to, but if I know they have big portions and I know for a fact that I will be taking food home, then it's pretty easy to just bring along a box. Container technology has come quite far, so there are a lot of foldable silicone styles out there that will flatten when empty so you don't have to cart around bulky containers everywhere.
An even greater upside to using containers is that you don't have that awkward spillage that happens when you carry the styrofoam box funny and all the sauces spill out. So many wins!
4. No straws for you!
In the United States alone, we use and dispose of 500 million straws a day. That is insanity. Madness. Straws and other small plastic items aren't contained very easily and will inevitably end up in our oceans, where they will be consumed by marine animals, and even sometimes get lodged in their body parts (remember the video of the turtle with a straw painfully stuck in its nose?). All it takes is the very simple request of "no straw, please", and you can help prevent the death of turtles, dolphins and sea birds. You can do eet!
5. Be mindful
Becoming more eco conscious and lowering your waste all comes down to mindfulness. There are so many things you can do to help the planet, and most of it takes little to no effort. Take that extra second to pack a fork with your lunch. Be okay that it will take an extra few seconds to wash your resuable container. Learn to live with the extra ounce that your resuable bag will weigh. It doesn't take much effort on your part, but if everyone in the world took a little more effort, it would make an enormous impact on the planet, and our future.
So there we are, our five easy ways to live a more eco friendly life. We have very little time and a long way to go to reverse our detrimental impact on the planet, but I believe that if everyone plays a small part it in, we can create an enormous movement.
The Importance of Mangroves
The Roatan Marine Park shared a great video on their Facebook page about the importance of mangroves, which we thought was a great foray to discuss the importance of mangroves, both to Roatan and to anywhere they exist, to all of you.
The Roatan Marine Park shared a great video on their Facebook page about the importance of mangroves, which we thought was a great foray to discuss the importance of mangroves, both to Roatan and to anywhere they exist, to all of you.
Mangroves are very important because they are both a source of protection and nurturing. Mangroves protect the coastline from erosion and storms, and are a haven for juvenile fish to spend their lives in before they go out to sea. Mangroves are cut down all over the world to pave the way for beachfront properties and sandy beaches without thought to the long term consequences, and even just on Roatan, we’ve seen the damaging effects of losing our mangrove forests.
Furthermore, mangroves may be the key to battle climate change. Mangroves store carbon dioxide under their roots and pump out a massive amount of oxygen, making them a vital part of the planet’s future.
The Roatan Marine Park’s work is not limited to just under the sea. They have taken over mangrove protection and re-plantation for the island of Roatan, and we’re looking forward to seeing more and more mangroves make their way back to where they belong. Mangroves are beautiful and necessary, and for our island to thrive, they must be allowed to protect our coasts, coral and marine life.
Remember to support the Roatan Marine Park so that they can continue the important work that they do. You can get daily tickets for $3 or yearly bracelets for $10, with all proceeds going towards the good work that the Roatan Marine Park does.
Should I buy a Roatan Marine Park yearly bracelet?
Short answer: Yes. Yes you should.
Oh, you wanted a long answer? Read on!
Short answer: Yes. Yes you should.
Long answer: Why wouldn't you buy a Roatan Marine Park yearly bracelet? They're only $10 and all the proceeds go towards the running of the park. The Roatan Marine Park is a non-profit organization that installs all the dive moorings, runs patrols to patrol the local wildlife and works with the local community to move us towards a conservation oriented island.
So if your boat ties up to a mooring, or you see a turtle or lobster or conch, or notice how the mangroves are starting to grow back...then of course you should support the Roatan Marine Park. The bracelets are only $10 and all the proceeds go directly into helping the park continue its good work. The park is one of the best run that we've seen, and we believe it has a lot to do with the fact that it's run by a non-profit, non-governmental organization full of passionate people, and we'd like to keep supporting it.
Do your part, support the park!
