Steep decline in giant sea turtles seen off West Coast
Gillian Flaccus and Haven Daley
The Associated Press
MONTEREY, Calif. Scientists were documenting stranded sea turtles on California s beaches nearly 40 years ago when they noticed that leatherbacks massive sea turtles that date to the time of the dinosaurs were among those washing up on shore. It was strange because the nearest known population of the giants was several thousand miles away in the waters of Central and South America.
Their mysterious presence led researchers to a startling discovery. A subset of leatherbacks that hatches on beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands were migrating 7,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to the cold waters off the U.S. West Coast, where they gorged on jellyfish before swimming back. The epic journey stunned scientists.
Scientists Report Decline in Giant Sea Turtles Sightings Off West Coast
CBS SF Bay Area 5 hrs ago Syndicated Local – CBS San Francisco
MONTEREY (CBS SF/AP) Nearly 40 years ago, scientists documented stranded sea turtles on California’s beaches and noticed that leatherbacks massive sea turtles that date to the time of the dinosaurs were among those washing up on shore.
It was strange because the nearest known population of the giants was several thousand miles away in the waters of Central and South America.
Their mysterious presence led researchers to a startling discovery. A subset of leatherbacks that hatches on beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands were migrating 7,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to the cold waters off the U.S. West Coast, where they gorged on jellyfish before swimming back. The epic journey stunned scientists.
Steep decline in giant sea turtles seen off US West Coast
by Gillian Flaccus And Haven Daley, The Associated Press
Posted Apr 8, 2021 11:39 am EDT
Last Updated Apr 8, 2021 at 11:44 am EDT
MONTEREY, Calif. Scientists were documenting stranded sea turtles on California’s beaches nearly 40 years ago when they noticed that leatherbacks massive sea turtles that date to the time of the dinosaurs were among those washing up on shore. It was strange because the nearest known population of the giants was several thousand miles away in the waters of Central and South America.
Their mysterious presence led researchers to a startling discovery. A subset of leatherbacks that hatches on beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands were migrating 7,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to the cold waters off the U.S. West Coast, where they gorged on jellyfish before swimming back. The epic journey stunned scientists.
Steep decline in giant sea turtles seen off Pacific Coast
Updated 10:07 AM;
Today 10:07 AM
In this photo provided by Heather Harris, taken Sept. 25, 2007, in the waters off central California, scientists including Scott Benson, at far left, can be seen posing with a giant western Pacific leatherback sea turtle as they take measurements and attach a GOP satellite tracking device to its shell. (Heather Harris/NOAA via AP)AP
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MONTEREY, Calif. Scientists were documenting stranded sea turtles on California’s beaches nearly 40 years ago when they noticed that leatherbacks massive sea turtles that date to the time of the dinosaurs were among those washing up on shore. It was strange because the nearest known population of the giants was several thousand miles away in the waters of Central and South America.
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