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Global Fauna Global Fauna Environmental Education & Research Global Fauna Environmental Enrichment & Education. Over 10 year experience working with wild and marine animals.

Time to learn and discover surprisingly amazing facts about the environment and the animals around the world!!

One of my most memorable memories from Projeto_tamar_oficial was also one of my very first experiences with a sea turtle...
04/10/2026

One of my most memorable memories from Projeto_tamar_oficial was also one of my very first experiences with a sea turtle. 🐢💚

I remember getting a call about a turtle that had been accidentally caught in a fisherman’s net. In Brazil, many coastal communities have a strong connection to fishing, which is an important source of income for many families. That’s why Tamar’s work has always gone beyond rescuing turtles. Conservation also means working with the communities that live alongside them.

Projeto Tamar worked closely with fishermen, encouraging them to report turtles accidentally caught in fishing gear, providing guidance on handling and rescuing them, and developing actions to reduce turtle bycatch.

I still remember that day so clearly.

It was my first rescue. We had to walk along the beach, climb through bushes and rocks to reach the fisherman’s place. It was tough, but this lovely fisherman welcomed me - a complete stranger - with so much kindness.

We assessed the turtle and took her back to the centre for further assessment. And me, having my first turtle ever, feeling super brave, said: “I can carry her!” 😂 Well… that 7 kg turtle and a 30-minute bush rock walk taught me a lesson. 😅🐢

But there’s another part of this story that makes it even more special.

Projeto Tamar understood that protecting turtles also meant creating opportunities for the people living in these communities. The project supported women and daughters of fishermen through sewing, handicraft and other income-generating groups, helping create alternative sources of income while strengthening the connection between communities and turtle conservation.

In 2010, I bought my very first souvenir made by the lovely wives of fishermen. And wherever I go, I carry it with me.

That’s why, if you visit a Global Fauna stall, you’ll always see it hanging there.
To anyone else, it might just look like a decoration. But to me, it carries a story.

More than a souvenir, it’s a piece of where turtle conservation story began.

And I’ve carried that story with me ever since. 💚🐢

Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtle is one of the world’s smallest sea turtles, with adults generally measur...
29/09/2026

Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtle is one of the world’s smallest sea turtles, with adults generally measuring around 55-80 cm in carapace length and weighing around 35-45 kg, although individuals can be larger. Their name comes from their characteristic olive-green to greyish-green carapace, while the plastron is usually pale or whitish. Their shell is relatively rounded and heart-shaped, and they can have 5-9 pairs of lateral scutes, sometimes asymmetrical from one side to the other. One of their most distinctive features is found on the underside: they have four pairs of inframarginal scutes, each with a small pore connected to a Rathke’s gland. The exact function of these glands is still not fully understood, but they may be involved in chemical communication or other interactions.



Every year, on a handful of beaches around the world, thousands - sometimes tens of thousands of female Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) gather offshore before coming ashore together to nest in one of nature’s most spectacular events: the arribada, meaning “arrival” in Spanish.

One of the most famous arribada beaches is Ostional, on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, where these spectacular mass nesting events can occur throughout the year.

Photo

Look closely at this photo and you can see something even more fascinating: an entire ecosystem responding to the turtles.

As thousands of females dig nests, they inevitably disturb and sometimes uncover eggs from previously laid nests. Eggs can become exposed at the surface, providing food for opportunistic predators and scavengers. Birds such as Black Vultures, as well as other predators including crabs, coatis and coyotes, take advantage of this enormous seasonal food source. But sea turtles are more than just part of this food web. Their nesting activity also moves nutrients from the ocean onto the beach, as eggs and other organic material left behind decompose and provide nutrients for microorganisms, plants and other animals. The eggs and hatchlings also transfer energy through the food chain, supporting a wide range of species.

Photo: Coastaltourscr.

23/09/2026

Ever wondered what’s actually happening when sea turtles mate? 🐢

Male and female sea turtles look quite different as adults. Females are generally larger, while males have a much longer, thicker tail and longer front claws, which they use to hold onto the female during mating.

Mating happens in the water and can be surprisingly intense. Females may have to carry males while swimming, and sometimes several males may compete for access to the same female.

But here’s where it gets really fascinating: female sea turtles can store s***m.

After mating, viable s***matozoa can be stored in microscopic s***m-storage tubules located within the posterior part of the albumen-secreting region of the oviduct.

The stored s***m can remain functional for at least several months often 4-5 months or longer. This allows a female to fertilise multiple clutches during one nesting season without needing to mate before every nest.

And she can store s***m from one or multiple males. When multiple males contribute s***m, this can result in multiple paternity - meaning hatchlings from the same nest, or even different clutches from the same female, can have different fathers.

Interestingly, sea turtles can sometimes mate with individuals of a different species. This is known as interspecific mating or hybridisation. It may happen when closely related species share the same feeding or breeding areas and encounter one another during the breeding season. In some cases, the behaviours and mating cues between species are similar enough that mating occurs. Hybrid offspring have been documented in several sea turtle species, although successful reproduction is not guaranteed.

A female may lay 3-7 clutches during a nesting season, usually around two weeks apart.

This isn’t just fascinating biology. S***m storage can also reduce the physical demands and risks associated with repeated mating, including the energy expenditure and potential risks of aggressive mating interactions offshore.

Video by Underwater photography I Philippines | Daria Sinitsina. Shared with permission

22/09/2026

Our friends at NOAA Fisheries West Coast, part of NOAA Fisheries, have just shared this breaking news, and we wanted to share it with you because this is such a remarkable moment for sea turtle conservation.

On 16 September 2026, an olive ridley sea turtle was observed digging a nest and laying eggs near Seal Beach in Orange County, California.

⚠️This is the first-ever recorded natural nesting of any sea turtle species on the U.S. West Coast.⚠️

Three days later, another sea turtle was observed near the Huntington Beach Pier. It is currently unclear whether this is the same turtle or a different individual.

NOAA Fisheries and local, state and federal partners will continue monitoring the nesting sites throughout the 45-60 day incubation period. The areas have been fenced and protected, and beachgoers are being asked not to disturb them.

But why is an olive ridley nesting so far north?
Olive ridleys are primarily tropical and subtropical sea turtles, but changes in ocean conditions can influence their movements and distribution. NOAA is currently monitoring the effects of a large marine heatwave along the West Coast, while El Niño is also developing and expected to influence West Coast waters.

El Niño can alter ocean circulation and contribute to warmer waters along the coast. These conditions may help warm-water species such as olive ridleys travel farther north than usual.

However, we don’t yet know whether El Niño played a role in this particular turtle’s journey or nesting event. The existing marine heatwave is a separate phenomenon, so researchers will be watching closely to understand what may have contributed to this extraordinary occurrence.

Please share the original information from NOAA Fisheries West Coast and help spread awareness about giving these nesting turtles the protection and space they need.

22/09/2026

🐢💚 **SEA TURTLE MATING SEASON IS COMING!**

As October approaches, the waters around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef become the stage for an intense part of the sea turtle life cycle: **mating season**.

For marine turtles, finding a mate isn’t always a gentle romantic encounter.

Male turtles compete for access to females, and mating can last for **several hours**. Females may try to escape unwanted attention, while competing males can become aggressive, attempting to displace one another from a female.

And there’s another challenge: **breathing.** 🫧

Because mating pairs spend extended periods together at the surface, they may need to surface more frequently. This can make them more vulnerable to predators such as sharks and, unfortunately, to **boat strikes**.

This is where we can help 💛

During turtle season, if you’re boating, kayaking, swimming or enjoying the reef:

🐢 Slow down around islands, shallow reef flats and seagrass meadows
👀 Keep an eye out for turtles at the surface
🚤 Give turtles plenty of space and avoid approaching them
🏝️ If you see a turtle coming ashore, observe quietly from a respectful distance
📸 Take photos, but don’t chase, touch or disturb them
🌊 Remember that turtles need to come to the surface to breathe

And if you’re lucky enough to witness turtles mating, remember: they’re wildlife, not an attraction. Give them space to do what nature intended.

Sea turtle mating season is an important part of the journey that eventually leads to nesting and the next generation of turtles. 🐢💛

Let’s make sure our oceans are a safe place for them throughout the season.

Video: 7News
Cover photo: Tracy Olive/The Lady Musgrave Experience

Um filhote de tartaruga australiana passando no seu feed. 😍🐢🇦🇺A tartaruga-australiana (Natator depressus), conhecida com...
12/09/2026

Um filhote de tartaruga australiana passando no seu feed. 😍🐢🇦🇺
A tartaruga-australiana (Natator depressus), conhecida como tartaruga do casco plano ou flatback turtle, é uma das espécies mais singulares da fauna australiana.

Seu nome vem da carapaça relativamente plana mas talvez o mais curioso esteja nos seus filhotes. Os filhotes de flatback já nascem com uma aparência bem característica: a carapaça varia entre tons de cinza, oliva e verde-oliva, com as bordas e os escudos mais escuros. Por baixo, o plastrão é branco-creme, criando um contraste marcante. Ao nascer, eles medem cerca de 5,5-6 cm e pesam aproximadamente 35-43 g, estando entre os maiores filhotes de tartarugas marinhas.

E os ovos também impressionam: uma fêmea coloca, em média, cerca de 50 ovos por ninho, mas eles são grandes em comparação aos ovos de outras espécies.

As flatbacks são encontradas principalmente nas águas costeiras do norte da Austrália, e suas principais áreas de reprodução estão em Queensland, Northern Territory e Western Australia. E aqui está uma das coisas que mais gosto nessa espécie: A flatback é endêmica da plataforma continental australiana, mas pode viajar para águas da Papua-Nova Guiné e da Indonésia em busca de alimento. Ela só é conhecida por nidificar na Austrália.

Diferente de muitas outras tartarugas marinhas, elas estão fortemente associadas a ambientes costeiros e águas rasas durante sua vida.

Você já conhecia a tartaruga-australiana?

*Todo o trabalho foi realizado sob licenças de pesquisa científica e aprovação ética.

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