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?

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. 

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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:

Photo Courtesy of: North Carolina Aquarium

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. 

When is Roatan's Lobster Season?

All marine reserves have fishing regulations, and Roatan is no different. While most people come to the Caribbean with the thought of eating lobster on the beach, it's important to know when Roatan's lobster season is, and what the lobster regulations are even when they're in season, to ensure that you are not putting an additional strain on the environment and ruining the marine world that Roatan is renowned for.

Lobster is in season on Roatan from July 1st to February 28th (or 29th on leap years), and only fishermen with lobster fishing permits are allowed to catch lobster outside of the Roatan marine reserve. Their tails must be greater than 5.5 inches, or 14.5 centimeters in length. Undersized lobsters are illegal, regardless of if a permit carrier catches them, and it is illegal to go diving for them within the reserve.

Poached lobster, photo courtesy of Roatan Marine Park

Unfortunately, demand for lobster is high, and the restaurants will continue to serve illegal lobster as long as patrons continue to request it. It's our responsibility as visitors to encourage responsible and sustainable seafood consumption so that local providers providers will follow suit, benefiting both the environment and the local economy.

How do I enjoy lobster responsibly? 

• Only enjoy fresh-caught lobster between July 1st and February 28th and NOT between the months of March and June.
• When dining in Roatan, ask the restaurant where the lobster was caught. If they respond that it's locally caught, ask about the size of the tail. Remember, they must be larger than 5in/14.5 cm.
• Look around your restaurant for displays of the Bay Islands Responsible Seafood Guide.  
• Keep an eye out for warning signs - if you're served lobster that still has its head, it is most likely poached from local, protected waters. Report suspicious activity to the Roatan Marine Park.

For more information regarding Roatan's fishing regulations and environmental laws, go to the Roatan Marine Park's website and learn how to be a responsible tourist today.

The Bay Islands Responsible Seafood Guide

Whenever you visit somewhere new (or even at home), it's important to think about responsible consumption when making your dining choices. Overfishing has run many of the waters around the world dry, and responsible seafood recommendations have been put in place all around the world to help combat, or at least slow, the killing of our marine ecosystem.

The Bay Islands developed a helpful visual guide to identify which fish make the best options and which ones should be avoided. Let's have a look before you dig in at the dinner table! 

From the Best Choices list, the fish we enjoy eating and frequently find are responsibly fished here in Roatan are: 

• Tuna

• Lionfish

• Wahoo

• Mahi Mahi

When you are dining out here in Roatan, look for this visual guide which is proudly on display at many local restaurants. Tuna is a great example of a popular and plentiful fish here, but in other parts of the world is sadly often overfished. Keep in mind, a fish that might be a responsible choice in some areas might NOT be in other geographic areas. It really can vary. 

We caution or discourage guests from the following items that are commonly poached, caught illegally, overfished, or caught without meeting the proper restrictions.

• Conch

• Lobster (Only in season from July through February)

• Snapper

• Grouper 

Below you will find a detailed guide with more information and learn how you can get involved. Without the demand for fish that are at risk, there will be no supply! Please think how you can help protect Roatan's local fish populations by sharing this with others and making responsible seafood choices when you dine out. 

Eat More Lionfish

We couldn't resist the opportunity to encourage our seafood enthusiasts to give this tasty fish a chance. The fillet is not very oily or fishy tasting, so there is a lot of variety for how it can be prepared and the flavors you can enjoy!

Interested in hunting lionfish to help bring this invasive species directly to your plate at home? Learn how you can obtain a Bay Islands Lionfish Spearing License from the Roatan Marine Park's Invasive Lionfish Control Program.

Bay Islands Lionfish Spearing License

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.

The only fish that you're allowed to spear in the Roayan Marine Park is lionfish, a beautiful but invasive species of fish that threatens our reef populations. Learn more about the RMP spearfishing license on our newest blog post coming out later today! #molionsmoproblems #roatanmarinepark #rmp #savethereef #eatalionfish #lionfish #roatan

A video posted by Roatan Divers (@roatandivers) on Nov 28, 2016 at 12:07pm PST

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!

The Illegal Wildlife Trade

Most of you undoubtedly grew up with your shelves covered in bottles of sand from different parts of the world, elaborate seashells and decorative sea stars and coral displays. I know I did.

The concept of marine conservation did not exist until more recently, and even now, the understanding that shells, sea stars and coral were all living things before they became ornaments is not very well understood by the general public.

So we are going to say this in very plain terms: taking things out of the ocean so you can decorate your hair or your home with it is wrong. If you are visiting a beach and you think it's gorgeous, then let the beach stay gorgeous and leave everything where it is. That sea star? It needs to be underwater to breathe, so holding it up for the camera is slowly killing it. That empty shell? It could be used as a future home for a hermit crab, so please don't leave them homeless.

One time, one of our guests purchased a conch shell from a beach vendor and donated it back to the dive shop after learning about the detrimental effects of removing marine wildlife from the reef. We were then left with a choice: do we return the shell to the ocean in its broken state, where it's no longer a viable home to an animal, or use this as an opportunity to educate? We spoke with one of the coordinators of the Roatan Marine Park, and with their support, determined that education was the way to go.
So, to encourage our guests to think more about the consequences of purchasing marine souvenirs, we set up a "poached display", to which the Roatan Marine Park also kindly donated to from their inventory of confiscated items. To be responsible tourists, we must make the active effort to think about the local laws and regulations, and expand on that by refraining from supporting the illegal wildlife trade. Think before you buy.

Please note that taking any protected marine species off the island is illegal, and customs will confiscate it if they catch you carrying it on the plane. Taking these species out of the water is illegal in and of itself, so taking that conch shell or breaking off that piece of coral off the reef to decorate your hotel room also constitutes an illegal act.

So wherever you go and wherever you live, make sure to respect the culture and the people, but please try to think on an environmental and marine conservation scale as well. If everyone says "no" to the illegal wildlife trade, the illegal trade will disappear, and the environment will thrive.

If you're unsure about what animals are unethically traded or bred (like pangolins, aquarium fish and red coral), make sure to check online. There is a whole wealth of information out there, so ignorance can never be claimed as innocence. The Roatan Marine Park has some great guidelines for responsible tourism, so that's a good place to start before you visit our beautiful island.

We love our planet and want to do right by it, and all it takes is a little bit of mindfulness to make a difference. Join us in taking small steps to make a big impact, and let's make tomorrow better than yesterday was.

A Case Against Disposable Utensils

We've spent a lot of time discussing ways to reduce our use of disposable containers, bags and plastic bottles, but we haven't gotten that much into disposal utensils. Now is as good a time as any, right?

Photo courtesy of Earth Touch News Network http://www.earthtouchnews.com/

Did you know that 8 million metric tons of plastic is dumped in the ocean every year? To give you a reference, 1 metric ton is 2204.62 pounds. 8 million metric pounds is 17 billion-637 million-200 thousand pounds. 17,637,200,000. That.is.bananas.

Most places in the world don't have the proper tools or systems to dispose of plastics or to even recycle them, so they inevitably end up in the world's water systems. Rivers, lakes, oceans - you name it, they're there. These plastics eventually end up inside marine animals, where they slowly kill them. It's torturous and an indignity, and it's even sadder because their deaths are easily avoidable.

Easily avoidable, you say?

Yes, it's easy to help lessen our environmental impact on the environment, but starting with yourself. Just like we encourage using reusable containers, bags and water bottles in lieu of styrofoam and disposable plastics, we encourage you to join the fight against plastic utensils by just saying no.

Most restaurants will automatically bring out a straw for you because it's second nature to them now, so all you have to do when you order a drink is to ask for no straw. If you go to a takeaway store armed with your own containers, take your own reusable utensils as well. Let's be honest, plastic picnic forks and spoons aren't exactly the most convenient to eat with anyways, so having your own normal sized utensils would actually be a benefit.

Saying no to straws and plastic utensils won't negatively affect your life in any way, but it will positively affect the environment in a big way. Remember, every little bit counts, so start making small, mindful changes in your every day life, and the planet will thank you!

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.

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!

Roatan Divers Goes Greener: Rental Reusable Containers

As divers, it's our responsibility to approach our business and life from a conservation-minded standpoint. After joining Go Blue Central America this year, we were inspired to create a more positive impact on the environment and support sustainability. While we have worked to minimize our water consumption and increase environmental awareness this season, we will be enacting some bigger initiatives to go even greener for next season.

One idea we have for next season is to have a supply of reusable containers available for guests to rent so that we can minimize styrofoam consumption. If you know you're going to go get takeaway food for lunch or want to bring your own lunch to the dive center, you can rent takeaway containers from us, and return them when you're done.

The reusable containers will be microwavable. If you're getting takeaway food for breakfast, you can take a container home the night before, or just grab one before you go get lunch. You can rent the boxes for a day or for your entire stay, it's totally up to you! We only ask that you return the boxes clean and in the same condition that you got them. We'll have a sign-in sheet to keep track of how many boxes and bags you have so that we get the same number back at the end of your use.

We're looking into the 28 to 32 oz range for optimal food storage! [boxes by Simple Houseware]

It will be a $5 deposit to rent and you can use the items as many times as you want. If you break it, you buy it (we keep the $5), but if you return it unscathed and clean, you'll get your $5 deposit back. Not bad, right?

We hope you're as keen on this new initiative as we are! Every little bit helps, and having a more compact container is certainly easier than those big, ungainly styrofoam containers, and there's less spillage to worry about, too! We hope all of you will support our new initiatives and help Roatan Divers go green!