Sea Turtles - Loggerhead Babies - Fight For Life - By Grace Brown Sea turtles are under threat and in decline the world over. Of the seven species of marine turtles, six occur in Australian waters The largest sea turtles – Loggerheads – have been recorded measuring up to 280cm in length and weighing up to 450kg! Sea turtles live in a range of coastal habitats, with most species’ hatchlings preferring the open sea, where they’re exposed to fewer predators before their shells have a chance to harden. Perhaps one of the most intriguing habits of marine turtles is the long journeys they make across oceans to mate and then deposit their eggs on specific beaches – sometimes the very same beaches where their lives began. After mating, female sea turtles pull their heavy bodies onto the beach and carefully select a nesting site. They use their powerful hind flippers to dig a hole, where they deposit up to 200 eggs per ‘clutch’ before covering the nesting hole with sand and returning to the water. The early life of hatchlings is a battle for survival. After emerging up to 70 days later, en masse and at night, they must immediately survive a gruelling trek across the sand towards the sea and relative safety. Turtles are a favoured food source for Indigenous communities and therefore appear as totems and in Dreamtime stories and Creation myths. Indigenous people respect the food resources that sustain them and they celebrate the turtle in rituals that aim to increase the bounty of the species. Grace said, The mass migration is amazing to watch. It's incredible how they just know the way to the water. I wish they could all survive to an old age, like we all wish for. They really do have to fight for life and they are really special to us. Enjoy Limited Edition Fine Art Print on Fine Art Canvas. Float Framed in Black, White or Natural Oak. Edition of 30. Certificate of Authenticity hand signed and numbered by the artist. ARTIST NOTE 30 total editions + 1 Artist's Proof. Artworks are custom created and have an approximate production time of 2-4 weeks.
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