The sad history of sea turtles

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. We now revere and protect our sea turtles. But you may remember the sad part of history when sailors near coastal areas would catch sea turtles coming to shore to lay eggs and they took them back to ships. The mostly green turtle species would be flipped on their backs and kept for weeks without food or water. Apparently, they did get less tasty as the days passed, but fresh meat was a welcome addition to their diet. If these turtles hadn’t yet laid their eggs, the eggs were considered quite a delicacy and were as big as goose eggs. The eggshells are soft and leathery so they won’t break when they drop in the sand as the mother turtles lays them and so hatchlings can open them with a special tooth.