Crowds, Curry, and imported Coffee!: Olive Ridley Turtles

Heidi wants to be a pirate when she grows up. This kind of pirate. The kind that helps protect turtles, or the thousands of marine species that are killed every day by human cruelty or ignorance.

Seeing the dead turtles on the beaches of St. Martins and Chera Dwip was heartbreaking. We only came across 10, but an article we heard about in the local paper said there was more like 100 if you circumnavigated the island. Here's a picture of the funeral we can for one.

We found a link to an article about these turtles done by the BBC. It's a little outdated, but shocking in it's findings. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17116052

Mostly the article speaks about how volatile these creatures are, how the amount to pollution in the water is killing them, how fishermen see them as bad luck or think that they will damage their equipment. These turtles often get caught up in fishing lines, drown and wash up on shore dead.

We believe it's so important to be aware of how our actions are affecting this beautiful planet. It's not just here in Bangladesh, it's everywhere. The garbage in the water here is more visible that's all- we're just really good at sweeping our mess under the rug.

Here are a few documentaries that we've watched that have really impacted us and have made us more aware, and want to get involved. Check out www.seashepherd.org (above image). This guy will blow you away with his passion for protecting the ocean from some of the most malicious and greedy forces.

Surf Rider at www.surfrider.org also does really cool work and organizes massive beach clean ups all over the world.