| The magnificent leatherback turtle has my vote as | | | | a third of a mile farther than Michael. |
| the most amazing animal on earth. | | | | In fact, this sea turtle is listed in the 1992 Guinness |
| Like the other remaining species of marine turtle, it | | | | Book of World Records as the fastest reptile on |
| left its four-footed land predecessors more than one | | | | earth! |
| hundred ten million years ago, developed flippers, and | | | | It would be a fairer race if the world's fastest man |
| populated the Seven Seas---before there were | | | | competed against a swimming turtle. The turtle and |
| Seven Seas. Literally before the Seven Seas. | | | | man would be almost even at the hundred meter |
| Mother Earth was a very different place way back | | | | mark, and the human might nose out a victory. But, |
| then. | | | | the swimming leatherback would blow away every |
| Although humans look around at the world and think | | | | human runner at 400 meters and farther. |
| that the rivers, canyons, and mountains we see | | | | Not only can this ancient being swim five times faster |
| today have always been there, nothing could be | | | | than the fastest human the world has produced, it |
| farther from the truth. For example, today's mighty | | | | may also be the world's greatest long-distance |
| Himalayas, with their tallest mountain in the world, | | | | swimmer. One of these giants was tracked by |
| Mount Everest, were not very mighty at all when | | | | scientists migrating 13,000 miles---and that was only |
| turtles first entered the oceans. The reason? They | | | | to the destination from which it needed to return. |
| did not even exist that long ago. Indeed, it would be | | | | Besides being the world's fastest reptile and maybe |
| another 65,000,000 years before the force of the | | | | the world's greatest long-distance migrator, it is the |
| collision between the subcontinent of India and Asia | | | | deepest diving marine turtle on the planet, regularly |
| pushed them to the heavens. | | | | diving some 4,000 feet underwater. To put that |
| Not only were there not Seven Seas yet, there | | | | depth into perspective, America's extraordinary |
| were only two supercontinents. The southern | | | | nuclear submarines are allowed to operate at a |
| supercontinent is called "Gondwana" which contained | | | | maximum normal operating depth of about 1,600 |
| today's Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia, | | | | feet because they'd crush under the sea pressure at |
| Arabia, and India, and more. | | | | 2,400 feet. Man's best technology and strongest |
| Antarctica was connected to Australia when the first | | | | metal and composite materials are no match for the |
| leatherbacks took to the sea and would not uncouple | | | | diving ability of this ancient reptile. |
| from it for about thirty million more generations of | | | | Leatherbacks are found not only in all tropical and |
| these sea animals. | | | | subtropical waters on earth but have been seen as |
| South America remained close to West Antarctica, | | | | far north as the Arctic Circle, in Alaska, near Quebec, |
| which was temperate in climate. Another 80,000,000 | | | | and Norway, and as far south as the Cape of Good |
| years would go by before Antarctica would have | | | | Hope and even below New Zealand, in waters as cold |
| migrated far to the south and turn into the frigid | | | | as 40°F. Yet, although they are cold blooded |
| continent we see. | | | | reptiles, they remain nice and cozy because they can |
| This ancient time spawned these ancient sea turtles. | | | | maintain a body temperature as much as 32°F |
| When the ancestors of today's leatherbacks evolved | | | | (18°C) higher than the surrounding water. They |
| into sea dwellers, there were no birds in the sky, no | | | | do this by having a metabolic rate four times faster |
| elephants, mastodons, mammoths, and not even a | | | | than any other sea turtle; a unique internal system |
| tiny mouse because there were no birds or mammals | | | | that actually generates heat through a very |
| at all on the globe. | | | | sophisticated mechanism; and their bulk and fat. |
| For that matter, there were no dinosaurs, either. The | | | | Man invented the wet suit in the late twentieth |
| mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex would not walk the planet | | | | century . These "primitive" animals have had their |
| for about four hundred thousand centuries more. | | | | own a bit longer. |
| Yes, you read it correctly: 400,000 centuries. | | | | Disgracefully, in the last 30 years, man's rapacious |
| Maybe you know that dolphins and whales originated | | | | greed and carelessness have decimated the numbers |
| from land animals and went to sea long ago. That is | | | | of this magnificent creature. Between 1980 and 2005, |
| really impressive! Except to a sea turtle. Why? | | | | the number of leatherback sea turtles in Mexico |
| Because leatherbacks were swimming the world's | | | | declined 99% , a catastrophic decline since that |
| oceans for more than fifty million years before those | | | | country had about two thirds of the world's total |
| mighty leviathons---which are closely related to | | | | leatherbacks. |
| hippopotamus---evolved, left the land, and entered | | | | Mexico should not be singled out because, all across |
| the oceans, too. | | | | the globe, leatherback populations were collapsing. For |
| Leatherbacks are the largest of all sea turtles and | | | | example, just a few years ago 10,000 leatherbacks |
| can weigh nearly a ton, like the one caught off Wales | | | | nested in Malaysia each year. In 2008, there were |
| that tipped the scales at 1,980 pounds. These | | | | two. |
| magnificent creatures saw the first and last dinosaur, | | | | Today, more than a hundred countries, hundreds of |
| and lived through the world's extinction, and | | | | conservation organizations, and tens of thousands of |
| flourished as the planet went from two | | | | volunteers are determined to stem the decline of this |
| supercontinents to the seven of today.But, that | | | | magnificent creature but it remains very vulnerable. |
| spectacular ability to adapt is not why they are so | | | | Despite laws passed to conserve these creatures |
| amazing. | | | | their nests are routinely plundered for eggs. Untold |
| Consider this: the world marveled, and deservedly so, | | | | numbers die from ingesting plastic bags which look |
| at Michael Phelps' unbelievable speed when he set a | | | | like jellyfish, their primary food. More drown in |
| world record in the 200 meter freestyle swim event | | | | commercial fishing and shrimp nets which we |
| in Beijing. But, in the time it took him to go that | | | | euphemistically call "incidental catch." We destroy their |
| distance, a huge leatherback, weighing about as much | | | | habitat, build our homes on their beaches and wonder |
| as the entire offensive line of a professional football | | | | why the sea turtles are going extinct. |
| team, would pass the 1,000 meter mark---more than | | | | |