10,000 baby turtles get first taste of the sea
10,000 baby turtles return to the sea
Location: Bali, Indonesia
The group of Olive Ridley turtles
were hatched at a conservation center
from eggs found on beaches
(SOUNDBITE) (English) VOLUNTEER FROM UNITED STATES, JESSICA LIEBERMAN, SAYING:
"I'm so excited, it's really exciting to see all of these turtles being released into the wild. We really hope a lot of them survive."
Sea turtles are endangered
Source: WWF
and their population is declining due to hunting
being caught in fishing gear
and loss of nesting sites
(SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) HEAD OF BALI NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION CENTER, AGUS BUDI SANTOSO, SAYING:
"Our recommendation is having a few designated beaches for the wildlife, especially sea turtles. No construction is allowed in the conservation area, or 'green zone', otherwise the turtles will not nest in the area. For example they will not lay eggs in an area near hotels. Ideally, we should free up an area ranging from at least 500-meters (1,640 ft) to one kilometer (0.6 miles) across the beach for the turtles to lay eggs."