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The San Diego Natural Guide Spring / Summer 2006

Turtle Heart: a Revolution for the Oceans

TURTLE HEARTa Revolution for the Oceans

by Wallace J. Nichols, PhD

Photo:Oceana

If we are to repair what man has broken,

it will take a revolution of individuals

full of passion and commitment...


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ON THE WIND-WHIPPEDPacifi c coast of the Baja California

peninsula, we gathered over a large

loggerhead turtle. Martin Arce,

a Santa Rosaliita fi sherman, hisdaughter Adelita at his side. Other

fi shermen, scientists and volunteers

surrounded the work site.

The fi berglass resin we need to

attach the satellite transmitter to the

turtles shell dried slowly. The sun

was shining but the air was cool. And

the wind. The wind howled off the

Pacifi c!

From the skiff, 5 kilometers from

the coast, we lowered the turtle to the

ocean. She tasted the salt through her

nostrils, stroked her long fl ippers andbolted through the blue. Hesitation

at 20 meters then a steep descent into

the deep.

We named the turtle Adelita.

Simultaneously the name of a little

girl and a hero of the Mexican Revo-

lution.

For 368 days Adelita swam west.

Daily, the small box on her back

revealed her location to us via geosta-

tionary satellites and a link to the base

station in France. We studied the data

and uploaded it to the Internet, for allthe world to see.

Oblivious to the millions of eyes

on her, Adelita stroked on. Through

the deepest, wildest, humanless

expanse of our planet. Alone. Yet not

alone at all.

One student wrote: Hi J., this is

Meghan and I was just wondering if


you are as excited about this as we

are?

At night I couldnt sleep. Lying

awake thinking about Adelita. Pray-

ing for her safety. Wondering whatwas beneath her and above her. Was

she hungry? How did it feel to be

going home after so many years?

Checking my email for her latest

position. Hoping there would be one.

Do you ever fi nd yourself thinking

of her in the middle of the night? I

asked myself in the form of a ques-

tion to the online tracking list.

Barbara Garrison, a San Diego

teacher replied with the poem

ADELITA SLEEPS:

Sister of mercy adrift in the

World; Her carapace around her

like a habit following the liturgy

Of longitude like the Stations

of the Cross

The drawstring of dream

Gathering with each dive;

A sea shadow cradled in the

Arms of the great Turtle Mother

Nicholas from Cincinnati wrote:

Remember me? I dont really have

any questions, I just want to thank

you for coming here and working

with us. It was a lot of fun and very

exciting. We are very excited about

Adelita crossing the International

Date Line and were having a party

soon.

A Sea Turtle Named Adelita


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The Virgin of Cobre guiding

through the dangerous sea;

The black sand memory of her

natal beach ringing her course

in perils of instinct.

At some point Adelita crossed the

International Date Line, roughly the

half way point, and we became more

confi dent that she was bound for her

natal Japan. That she was seeking the

beach where she was born, decades

before.

Cartographer. Explorer.

World traveler. Adelita sleeps.

Brie asked: I was wondering,

what are you gonna do when Adelita

gets to Japan? I mean are you gonna

send a team in to get her, J? Or

what!!!??

I wrote back: Brie, Im not really

sure. If she comes on the beach to

nest, theres a chance that we could

fi nd her and get the tag back. Perhapswe could re-tag her (if we have the

money and a tag). Got any ideas?

She may swim around near the nest-

ing beach for a while before she actu-

ally lays eggs. She will need to mate

with a male loggerhead.

Yukki from Japan, wrote: I didnt

know that turtles born in Japan are

swimming around the Pacifi c

A leatherback hatchling makes its way to the ocean. Leatherbacks are critically endangered in

the Pacifi c Ocean. Their epic migrations connects Californian, Mexican and Asian waters.

Photo: Jon Snow


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A Shinto priestess leads the way;

A goddess path from Mexico

To the arribada on a distant

Kyushi shore.

On the 368th day of Adelitas jour-

ney we lost her signal. Millions of

us, having spent the days and nightswith her, never heard from her again.

She had swum 11,500 km from Baja

to Japan. Her last position was near

Isohama, a fi shing port in the Sendai

province. Her fate: Inconclusive.

EIGHT YEARS HAVE PASSED

since the Grupo Tortugero fi rst gath-

ered in Loreto. From an initial group

of 45 fi shermen, scientists and conser-

vationists, Mexicos largest grassroots

ocean conservation network now

represents more than 500 people from

no fewer than 25 communities.

The groups coordinator, Rodrigo

Rangel, grew up on Isla Magdalena.

Part of a line of fi shermen, sea turtle

was common fare in his home.

At fi rst, my family called me an

ecologista and tempted me with seaturtle soup. Now they get it. They

respect my work and they help me

to protect sea turtles. The sea turtle

revolution is happening one person at

a time, explains Rodrigo.

Rodrigo presides over the group,

which fi lls half of Loretos municipal

auditorium. The meeting is equal

parts conference, family reunion, and

fi esta. By day, stories and data are

shared. The energy is contagious, thestakes are high and the goal is nothing

short of a sea turtle revolution.

Some say such words - dedication,

passion, love of nature - are overly

sentimental. Some say that deep per-

sonal relationships get in the way of

ones goals. Some say that its hard

to maintain ones status as a respect-

able scientist and also be an effective

advocate for the ocean. Some say

that to restore nature is only a matter

of dollars and enforcement. Some

whole-heartedly disagree with all of

this.

If we are to repair what is broken in

nature, it will take a revolution full

of passionate celebration and com-

mitment to each other. On the Baja

peninsula, within a growing number

of people that inhabit the towns along

its shores, youll fi nd the heart of that

ocean revolution.

The Heart of the Sea Turtle Revolution

Shells from some of the thousands of sea

turtles that are hunted and eaten every year in

northwest Mexico. Grassroots efforts and high

media campaigns work to reduce the poaching

of these endangered animals and to promote

sustainable alternatives, such as ecotourism

and fi sheries management.

Photo: Wallace J. Nichols


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The fi shermen who monitor seaturtles along the peninsula take great

pride that their sea turtles are com-

ing back. They confi dently tell the

story of the sea turtles return. And

they link the nascent recovery to the

same newfound spirit that guides their

fi shing - take what you need, protectwhat should be protected, self-enforce

within the community, and teach the

children as well.

School children lined up and made this

formation to share a powerful message on

a southern California beach. The Ocean is

Life. No animal symbolizes that better than a

sea turtle.

Photo: www.earthresource.org

grupo tortuGueroSEA TURTLE CONSERVATION NETWORK

Founded in 1999, GRUPO TORTUGUERO is a network of individuals,

communities, organizations, and institutions from around the world ded-

icated to sea turtle conservation. We envision sea turtles fulfi lling their

ecological roles on a healthy planet where all people value and celebrate

their continued survival. We empower people and their communities

to conserve sea turtles by building a diverse conservation network to

expand knowledge, develop innovative solutions and share them widely.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

-Join the Grupo Tortuguero! Volunteer, attend annual meetings and help spread the

conservation message in your area. Contact Lindsey Peavey, volunteer coordinator, by

phone at 619-574-6643 or email [email protected]

-Donate Funds You can directly support the work of Grupo Tortuguero through a tax-

deductable donation. For more information, visitwww.grupotortuguero.org

-Get Informed! Visit www.grupotortuguero.orgto learn more about sea turtles and the

work that is being done to protect them.

In every part of the world,sea turtles

are consideredthreatened or endangered.


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Dr. Wallace J. Nicholsis Director of Conservation ScienceatPro Peninsula, a ResearchAssociate at the California Academyof Sciences and collaborates withnumerous non-profi t organizationsand government agencies on a rangeof ocean and coastal research, con-

servation and education programs,includingOcean Revolution. Hisacademic background is in WildlifeEcology and Evolutionary Biology aswell as Natural Resource Economicsand Policy. He holds graduatedegrees from the University of

Arizona and Duke University.

Turtle Friendly Links:www.grupotortuguero.orgA bilingual website highlighting work of individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions

from around the world dedicated to sea turtle conservation.

www.oceanrevolution.orgAn international program developed to connect, inspire and empower a new wave of your leaders

to fi nd creative solutions to protect our oceans.

www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspYour seafood choices make a difference! Seafood Guides to help you

make choices that are good for you and good for sea turtles.

Wallace J. Nichols weighs a green turtle in

Baja California, Mexico.

Suggested Reading:

Chelonia: Return of the Sea Turtle

Written by Wallace J. NicholsIllustrated by Dawn NavarroThis childrens book, based on a true event,

tells of a rescue, recovery and eventual return

to the wild of a green sea turtle. Beautifully

illustrated, entertaining and informative.

Each English-language book purchased

through Pro Peninsula allows the donation

of one Spanish-language copy to a classroom

in a Baja California community. To order your

copy or to get more information on Chelonia,

visit www.propeninsula.org


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The San Diego Natural Guide Spring / Summer 2006 19


Sea Turtle Education Program

The Grupo Tortuguero and Pro Peninsula* are happy to visit classrooms

and community groups throughout Baja California, Southern California and

the Bay Area to teach sea turtle biology, conservation and interpret current

research efforts. An educator can come to the site of your choice to lead this

unique sea turtle education experience, bringing with them activities, models

and other materials. Each presentation is prepared depending on the interest

and age-level of the audience. We can do both in-class or in-the-fi eld presenta-

tions, and are happy to work with teachers and group leaders to develop an

educational event that will get students excited about saving sea turtles from

extinction, aware of human impact on marine life and conscious of their sur-rounding natural environment.

For more information on these education programs, please contact:

Lindsey Peavey - [email protected]; 619-808-7730

*Pro Peninsula is a U.S.-based nonprofi t organization dedicated to empowering communities and

organizations on the Baja California peninsula to protect and preserve their environment. They

work with the Grupo Tortuguero to manage the sea turtle monitoring project, promote commu-

nity-level outreach and education, and organize biannual network meetings.

Researcher Louise Brooks releasing a loggerhead sea turtle in Baja, as part of the GrupoTortugueros ongoing monitoring project.

Photo: Terri Garland

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