May 23 celebrates (or “shellebrates“) World Turtle Day. According to the World Turtle Day website, the “day was created as a yearly observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world.” The day celebration started in 2000 under the auspices of the American Tortoise Rescue organization. On its website, it states that its mission “includes continuing to fight the exploitation of our native turtles for food in the U.S. and China and the illegal sale of live animals on Craigslist.com.”
In my walks, hikes, and bike rides, I often use trails with a pond or another body of water. The first photo I featured was captured at the turtle pond on The University of Texas at Austin campus. It is a very popular destination visitors like to see because of the turtle colony living there. The next photo and the one below come from a large pond in a nature trail near my house, the Copperfield Nature Trail. This little moss-covered fellow did not mind my getting close with my macro lens to get this image.
Pond sliders (Trachemys script) are very common in this part of Texas. The species is native to the United States. The red-eared slider is one main characteristic used to identify them. According to Wikipedia, their lifespan ranges from twenty to fifty years.
There are some easy steps to help protect turtles and tortoises, including reducing plastic use. Unfortunately, turtles mistake plastic for food. Supporting conservation efforts is another way to protect turtles. If you visit a beach where turtles nest, do not disturb nesting areas. If you get one as a pet, never release it into the wild, which can disrupt ecosystems. If you boat or fish, be mindful of turtles in the area and never dispose of fishing lines in the water.
When we visited the Fernando de Noronha archipelago (Brazil), we witnessed the work of a wonderful conservation organization on that island. The Fundação Projeto Tamar (The Tamar Project Foundation) has operated on the Brazilian coast since the 1980s. Its mission promotes “the recovery of sea turtles through research, conservation, and social inclusion actions.” On that day, they released a Green Sea Turtle into the ocean after collecting some data.
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Writing to Freedom
Nice pics and tribute Egidio. Lately, the turtles here hide in their shell so now good pics.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the compliment, Brad.
margaret21
Lovely pictures: and good to know that turtles are actively protected.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Margaret.
Anne Sandler
Thanks for letting us know about World Turtle Day Egidio! My son had a snapping turtle as a pet. He definitely had a personality. Great pictures.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback, Anne. I’ve heard about snapping turtles and their personality. 🙂
Marie
Great photos. I especially love the first one. The colors and the reflections are wonderful
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Marie. Yes, they were sunning out and loving the warmth on that day.
Dawn M. Miller
Wow, these are incredible!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Dawn.
philosophy through photography
Such a lovely Clicks.
As they say, nature never tires us
Thanks for bringing awareness about turtle day.
I was unaware of this day.
Thanks, Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, my friend. Have a great weekend!
philosophy through photography
You are welcome, my friend.
You too have a wonderful weekend!
Toonsarah
I never knew there was a World Turtle Day, but these days there seems to be a day for everything! I welcome this one because it’s given you a reason to share these excellent photos 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Sarah, yes, there are days for everything nowadays. It’s hard to keep up. Thanks for your feedback and compliment.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Simpatiche creature!
Egidio Leitao
Grazie mille!
Amy
What a special post for the world turtle day! Beautifully captured, I love turtles.
Egidio Leitao
I’m so glad you liked the post, Amy. Thanks for the comment.
Vicki
Wow! What great shots. The detail of the turtles is amazing.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you so much, Vicki.