Millions of years ago, at the time of the last of the dinosaurs, ancient land tortoises entered
the seas and evolved into seven species of sea turtles that exist in the world today. Just like
their ancestors, today’s marine turtles breathe air even though they spend most of their life in
the sea. Marine turtles are some of the world’s oldest and most fascinating creatures and play
important ecological roles in our marine environment.

Marine turtles are excellent swimmers because of their strong flippers. These animals may
travel huge distances across oceans in one year. Adults migrate from thousands of kilometres
from their feeding grounds to the shallow waters near their nesting beaches where they mate.
It is common for turtles from Solomon Islands to travel as far as Australia, Indonesia and even
the United States of America to their feeding grounds before traveling back again to warmer
South Pacific waters to nest. Usually, female turtles will return to the same nest where they
themselves were born in order to lay eggs. They usually return to these natal beaches every or
3 years to nest.

Approximately four weeks after male and female turtles have mated, females must come up on
sand beaches to lay their eggs (just like sea snakes and crocodiles). A female turtle makes a nest
by digging a hole on the beach with her back flippers and laying her eggs inside. She may lay
up to 1 0 eggs in one nest. After the nest is laid the female turtle carefully covers it with sand
and then returns to the sea. The eggs develop in the nest over a period of 7 to 1 weeks, and
then the eggs hatch and the hatchlings emerge to find their way, unaided, to the sea. Like many
reptiles, the temperature of the sand determines the sex of baby turtles. Warmer temperatures
in the range of 9 to degrees Celsius produce females, while temperatures cooler than this
produce males.

Hatchlings face many diffi culties before they make it to sea, as dogs, pigs, birds, crocodiles
and monitor lizards, all prey on eggs and/or on emerging hatchlings. Once they reach the
sea, hatchlings must contend with the larger fish species and sharks that also want to eat them.
Hatchlings drift on ocean currents until they reach a feeding area where they will stay until
they reach reproductive age of 0 to 0 years old. At that time the adult turtles will begin their
journey back toward their natal beaches to mate and lay their own eggs.

People and marine turtles have co-existed for thousands of years. In many parts of the world,
including the South Pacific, marine turtles have played important roles in the lives of coastal
people, as a food source, as cultural totems and as many other products. However, the 0th
century saw an increase in the commercialization of marine turtles, which are valued for their
meat, shell, oil, skin and eggs. This commercialization of marine turtles has decimated their
numbers.

Commercial fishing practices are also having major impacts on marine turtle populations.
By-catch, in which non-target species such as turtles are caught by the long-line fishery or
trawlers, is particularly harmful to turtle populations. Pollution of the marine environment
from oil spills, and the improper disposal of chemicals and plastic garbage have also had a
major impact on marine turtle populations and are partially responsible for turtle population
decline. Increased urbanization as a result of growing human settlements on nesting beaches
and coastal changes such as those associated with climate change or severe weather events are
also threats. Tidal inundation of nesting beaches can cause significant loss of nesting sites and
the destruction of nests, resulting in fewer hatchlings and declining populations.

In the South Pacific, as well as elsewhere in the world, marine turtles are in serious trouble.
Their numbers have declined drastically in the past few decades. Some scientists have suggested
that unless major conservation efforts are undertaken to reverse this trend, then leatherback
turtles in particular, may be extinct in the South Pacific within 5 years. While other species of
marine turtles are not at extreme risk such as this, there is little question that unless current
trends are reversed future generations of Pacific Islanders and of other peoples around the
world will not be able to experience these remarkable animals.