I wrote My Life with Sea Turtles first and foremost to express my love and passion for sea turtles and their oceanic habitat, including the fascinating biology and ecology that has ensured their survival for millions of years. But this book was also born out of my concern for the future of our sea turtles and oceans, which I want to share with more people. We are currently experiencing a sixth mass extinction of species due solely to our human existence and our lifestyle.
Because of us, many species face unprecedented threats and only have a chance of survival if we drastically change how we live. Besides highlighting the extraordinary biology and ecology of sea turtles, I am trying to explain the complexity of threats sea turtles and their oceanic habitat face. Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter We won’t save sea turtles just by ceasing to use plastic straws or stopping eating fish.
There is so much going on, from direct exploitation to climate change, plastic pollution, chemical pollution, loss of nesting habitat and invasive species. All of this needs to be addressed if sea turtles are to have a future on this planet. If people take just one message from my book, then it would be that we need all hands on deck to save sea turtles and that each of us can contribute towards their survival every day.
I also wanted to showcase life as a conservationist: the fulfilment and extraordinary adv.