Turtle Rehabilitation
The Turtle Rehabilitation Centre proudly displayed recycling containers at the entrance. I sorted several plastic bottles, newspapers and beer cans which once littered the curb.
Storyboards highlighted turtles like the pitiful male who looked like a misshapen hourglass because he was forced to grow around the tight plastic strangling his middle. Polluted waters had caused a flipper on another to become so diseased that amputation was the only solution. Shameful to think that the poor turtle had to be equipped with a prosthetic flipper like some cyborg. Swiftly my eyes jerked away from the mutated turtle who had an upside down, inside out physique because of heavily leaded, mercury laced and oil laden water. Poor thing had swam in “Man Made Scum!”
Happily, I viewed empty tanks; these turtles were well enough to be released into their natural habitat. I began to hyperventilate; “natural habitat” no longer meant clean, safe and secure. Oceans were no longer hospitable. There was a growing plastic vortex, five times or more the size of Texas. A devastating Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010 slimed creatures from sea birds to invertebrates. Global warming dissolved glaciers at alarming rates causing polar Arctic creatures to lose their homes and consequently their lives. February 2021, multiple fishing boats in the bay rescued Greenback turtles suffering from hypothermia. A memorable video showed an oversize heated room with wall to wall turtles recuperating.
My breathing steadied as I realized that I had a choice. My choice was not to leave so much as a shadow of a carbon footprint. Reuse. Reduce, Recycle. Taking a drink from my steel water container, I reached into my recycled bag for my fleece jacket made from recycled water bottles. My not-tested-on-animal perfume partially hid under fresh salt air. Naming a hatching after my eldest granddaughter as part of a conservation project, I opted for an email receipt. Congratulating myself on educating the next generations on the life cycle of a turtle, I returned to my energy efficient, resource friendly home with its solar panels and field of wind turbines.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleWhat a sad but hopeful story, Margarida. The plight of the turtles is indeed heartbreaking, but it’s good to know that there is a Rehab Center. I know you’re from Texas – is there such a place there where you live? And is the last paragraph based on your real life? If so, congratulations on an almost non-existent carbon footprint. Even if it isn’t true (yet) it gives us all something to… Read more »
I am a British expat living in Texas. I still use British spellings and vocabulary. My story was based on a recent holiday experience in South Padre Island. There was indeed a Turtle Rescue Centre with a hospital. For a few dollars, I was able to walk around the turtle tanks, stroll the board walk, listen to a worker talk on conservation. A PowerPoint showed a turtle release when they slid down… Read more »
After I read your reply Margarida, I looked up South Padre Island and was really impressed with the ecological work they are doing there. How nice for you to be able to visit and to share with all of us this amazing place, and also to highlight the horrors of plastic. I’ve quit buying anything that involves plastic. Most of the places I buy from now have compostable or at least recyclable… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleIt was a very heartbreaking but encouraging and inspiring story, Margarida. The idea about reuse, reduce and recycle are still proven effective to protect not only the turtles but all the marine life and its ecosystem and also the earth. Well done.
I was drawn in by the photo and your story made me realise the hard work ahead of all of us but that we can each do our bit. I was amused to see a few zs creeping into your ‘English spellings’ – Texas must be suiting you
We emigrated from England in 1981, and my language has been described as British with some Americanisms. It is difficult to obtain a British author here in Texas who was not published in America. I will try to upgrade my British writing because mixing the two is not correct. Thank you Susan for bringing this to my attention. Truly disgusting to realize that the oceans now contain many disposable masks and gloves.… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleIt was tongue in cheek, not a rebuke.
Actually your comment was insightful. When I write for a Commonwealth mag , British spelling is required, but when I write for an American online magazine sometimes the demand is for USA spelling. So you gave me a wake up call.
Your comment about the new form of plastic pollution from disposable gloves and masks points out how difficult it is to make progress on these pollution problems. We’re always encountering new pressures like fighting COVID that introduce new sources of pollution. And individuals feel so powerless. Often, all we can do is try to live our lives with as small a pollution footprint as we can.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleI look forward to the day when a “plastic” will compost readily. Hopefully some bright individual will invent one made of seaweed, grass or some other readily obtained cheap source. Thanks Alan, for reading my story based on a real South Padre Turtle Rehab and global tragedies,
This story successfully raises awareness of the miserable plight of the turtles and other marine species either threatened or endangered because of water pollution. Nice work, Margarida.
Thank you Dipayan. Sadly, it is not just water pollution threatening marine animals. High speed boats maim turtles and manatees, Global warming breeds bizarre weather frying, dehydrating, freezing or overheating any animal from Koalas to Green backs. Shameful! I believe that we all must do our part in conserving, and observing the three Rs.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYou’re welcome, Margarida. Of course we’re not doing enough to protect the environment from all kinds of pollution and global heating.
Praises to you Dipayan for reading my story based on real life experiences. Truly hope that we are developing generations of environmentalists, activists and scientists to tackle pollution and help animals in crisis.
A very insightful and horrifying, yet fascinating and optimistic exposé, Margarida. We all need to know what’s going on and what we can do to help.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleWhen all is said and done, “hope” was left in Pandora’s box. Thank you for taking the time to read my flash fiction and make your insightful comments.
Your story is absolutely amazing! The turtles are one of my favorite animals and plastic is one of the worst things ever. Your story is very well-written and knows how to connect with people, especially me. The amount of pollution you listed is terrible and more than it was when I last checked. Thank you for writing a story that made so many emotions come out of me!
For our 41st Wedding Anniversary, we actually went to South Padre Island, Texas. My visit to the Turtle Rehab Centre gendered this story. I adopted a hatching naming him after a grand daughter. There was a large turtle who had several prosthetic flippers to accommodate his growth. Some tanks were happily empty emphasizing that the turtle occupant was well enough to be released. February 2021 really saw freezing Texas temperatures and many… Read more »
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