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National Geographic : 1989 Oct
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Green Turtle Genus: Chelonia Species: mydas Adult size: Length, approx. 1m Adult weight: 90-230kg Habitat: Temperate and tropical seas worldwide Surviving number: Estimated at less than 500,000 Photographed by John L. Behler Wildlife as Canon sees it The sea greets a returning green turtle on the beaches of Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Every two to four years, female green turtles instinctively navi gate hundreds of miles across the open ocean and come ashore to nest on their native beaches. With powerful flippers, the green turtle excavates a pit where she lays her eggs, safely covers them with sand, then heads back out to the sea. Within a couple of months, at nightfall, the little hatchlings will emerge from beneath the sand and scramble to the water to begin their own journey to the open sea. Though the green turtles' range is worldwide, commercial exploitation, habitat destruction and pollution have reduced their numbers from tens of millions to scattered thousands. To save endangered species, it is vital to protect their habitats. Understanding the fragile balance of our world's ecosystem holds the promise for the future. Photography, both as a scientific research tool and as a means of recording the world around us, can help promote a greater awareness and understanding of the green turtle and how it lives within its natural environment. And understanding is perhaps the single most important factor in saving the green turtle and all of wildlife. EOS1 The New Classic with EF 300mm f/2.8L (Ultrasonic) Canon
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