Endangered turtles hatch on beach that was deserted due to coronavirus
At the moment, people are being encouraged to stay indoors to stop the spread of the coronavirus. While this is difficult for humans, itās had some surprising effects on the planet. Interestingly, scientists have even found itās helped the earth in some unusual ways. Preventing the spread of this disease is starting to have some unintended but very welcome consequences.
Thereās less air pollution. This is especially true in major cities, which means weāre breathing cleaner air. And animals are safer than ever. This includes sea turtles, which are currently endangered.
Sea turtles are thriving
When babies, these amazing creatures are at risk. Thatās because when they hatch, things like lights and human interaction distract them. Unfortunately, many of them never reach the ocean to start their lives because of that. But now that humans arenāt hanging out at beaches, they have a better chance of survival.
This is happening in Brazil
Brazil, like most countries around the world, is taking steps to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. On March 22, Hawksbill sea turtles hatched in Paulista, a town located in Pernambuco. The tiny creatures made their way out of their shells.
This town is a popular beach destination
Usually, Paulista is crawling with tourists and locals, all eager to enjoy the beach. Itās quite a busy area. As you can imagine, that means sea turtles donāt fare too well. Thereās just too much going on.
But now, thereās a partial shutdown
To encourage people to stay home, Paulista has now imposed a partial shutdown. While some individuals arenāt too happy about it, this has become essential. With people staying indoors, the beach is empty. Thatās something that hasnāt happened in a very long time.
The turtles had easy access to the ocean
Depending on when the sea turtles were born, some may have had a more difficult time reaching the ocean than others. But overall, they did remarkably wellā¦thanks to no human interference. Considering this species has been endangered for quite some time, this is a positive thing.
Local government workers snapped pictures
Due to the ban in place, the public might not have known anything about this event if it hadnāt been for some local government workers. Since their jobs fall into the āessential,ā category, theyāre still out and about. Thatās how they saw the turtles hatching and heading to the shore. They knew they had to share photos with the people on the internet.
The turtles had some help
But the turtles did have a little bit of help from a special agency. The Urban Sustainability Center was monitoring them to make sure they were as safe as possible. With their assistance, 97 of the sea turtles broke out of their shells and successfully made their way to the water.
This should be a wake-up call
The current health situation has forced the world to see what itās like when people curb their daily activities. It turns out, thatās not all bad. When things get back to normal, itāll be important to take the lessons learned during this time and apply them to everyday life. Hopefully, this will benefit the sea turtles in the future.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Source: 22 Words, Paulista City Hall