In Remote Indonesia, Visit to Green Sea Turtle Hatchery Saves "Max" (Slideshow)

Photo: Mairi Beautyman

This is Max, at about 12 hours old, windmilling his flippers in the air. He (or perhaps she) is one of 100 baby green sea turtles I helped release into the sea.

While the adult Chelonia mydas has only a few known predators -- sharks, leopards (in Africa), and man -- a baby sea turtle's early life is one of grave danger. The statistics are abominable: An average of one or two hatchlings from 1,000 eggs will reach the 30-50 year reproduction age.

Pangumbahan Turtle Park, a green sea turtle hatchery in Ujung Genteng, Indonesia aims to reduce these high death statistics for the endangered species, and to give hatchlings a fighting chance.

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