Malta is an island surrounded by sea, but because of our steep cliffs some parts of the sea are difficult to reach from land. We do have a number of very beautiful beaches frequently visited by locals and tourists alike. These beaches can be rocky or sandy but they both offer beautiful places where we can rest and enjoy a nice dip in the sea. Have you every noticed how many other living things live in these sea side places around Malta? The seashore offers a particular habitat for many creatures to live, some that are more frequently spotted then others. I am sure it’s not the first time that you spotted a crab skuttling over a rocky edge. Jellyfish are also frequent animals we spot in the waters around this small island in the middle of the Meditteranean Sea. Lots of small fish usually accompany our swims and the seabed is sometimes covered in green algae that offers a great environment where lots of microscopi sea creatures live and thrive.
Some other living creatures are less frequently spotted. A few weeks ago Ramla Bay in Gozo had a very special visit from a female loggerhead turtle. The loggerhead turtle was spotted late on Friday evening laying its eggs in the sand. This was the first confirmed sighting in this bay in 70 years!
Did you know that loggerhead turtles are able to find there way back to the beach where they first laid their eggs? They do this because these magnificent creatures are able to detect the Earth’s invisible magnetic field. The same magnetic field that has helped humans to find their way around the world using a compass. The needle in the compass is able to move because of this magnetic field allowing us to detect in which direction we find North. Turtles can do this without using a compass! Now isn’t that amazing.
The loggerhead sea turtle (scientific name: Caretta caretta) is a kind of reptile that can live for more than 50 years and can weigh more than 100kg. It feeds mostly on squid and jellyfish but sometimes it also eats fish and other small creatures that live in the sea. The IUCN, an international union that works to conserve nature all around the planet, lists the loggerhead sea turtle as a vulnerable species. This means that the number of loggerhead sea turtles is going down and there are many reasons why this might be happening. Many of these reasons have to do with manmade practices of fishing and other disturbances in the sea that where not present before man. One thing which also does not help these turtles to grow enough to have there own babies, is when they mistake plastic in the sea for food. When this happens loggerhead turtles feel like they have a full stomach when they actually don’t have any food and nutrients that will help them to grow.
You can tell the difference between a plastic bag or plastic film and a jellyfish but a turtle cannot!
One way you can help out sea creatures such as the Loggerhead Sea Turtle is by taking some time when you visit a local beach or anywhere in nature and pick up any plastic litter that you see around. #Take3ForTheSea all around the world and #WaveOfChange in Malta are both working hard to encourage people to do this and also stop the litter of plastic which eventually can be mistaken for food by turtles, fish and sea birds.
Make sure to use a glove or use a tissue to pick up the litter and place them in a bin. This will help stop any of this litter from ending up in the sea.
By doing this you are aiding turtles and other beautiful sea creatures that live in the Mediterranean Sea to have a better life so that they can grow up and visit our beaches year after year. Having clean sand which is not littered with waste, will also give a better chance for young sea turtles to survive when they hatch in the coming days. Follow Nature Trust Malta to keep updated on the subject.
Remember that jellyfish are good food for these animals and although they might look scary, some of them do not actually sting us humans. Check out these beautiful Fried Egg Jellyfish spotted in Xwejni Bay.
