Sea Turtle Conservancy

Lega-sea is back in the sea after we satellite-tagged her this morning! Her sponsors at Four Seasons Resort Nevis chose her name to reflect the 20-year anniversary of our partnership to study the movements of hawksbills in this part of the Caribbean.

Lega-sea is swimming to raise awareness for the threat of the illegal shell trade of sea turtles. To improve the survival outlook of hawksbill sea turtles, 183 governments signed an international agreement known as CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which declared the trade of hawksbill shells illegal in 1977. Today, the demand for shells continues on the black market. Visit our website to learn more about how to spot hawksbill shell trinkets in markets to learn how to avoid purchasing it.

To track Lega-sea's movements, visit TourdeTurtles.org or download the STC Turtle Tracker app.

Bon voyage, Sandy! 🌺

Yesterday, we satellite-tagged Sandy the hawksbill on the island of Nevis in the eastern Caribbean. She is sponsored by the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, our 20-year partner on our sea turtle research and education program in this region. Hawksbill sea turtles are critically endangered, largely because they are killed for their ornate shells used for "tortoiseshell" trinkets. We believe this species is worth much more alive than in a store, and our research and education in this region is helping to protect them.

You can track Sandy's movements by visiting TourdeTurtles.org or downloading the STC Turtle Tracker app!

We and our friends at Endangered Species Coalition spoke with Central Florida Public Media about what the new federal rule change means for sea turtles in the U.S. and what citizens can do to oppose this change.

Read the article below.

New federal rule could ramp up risks for sea turtles in Florida The new rule redefines one key word: "harm." Conservation groups say it could be devastating for vulnerable species.