Why I love sea turtles – and why we have to save them

I wrote My Life with Sea Turtles first and foremost to express my love and passion for sea turtles and their oceanic habitat, including the fascinating biology and ecology that has ensured their survival for millions of years. But this book was also born out of my concern for the future of our sea turtles and oceans, which I want to share with more people. 

We are currently experiencing a sixth mass extinction of species due solely to our human existence and our lifestyle. Because of us, many species face unprecedented threats and only have a chance of survival if we drastically change how we live. Besides highlighting the extraordinary biology and ecology of sea turtles, I am trying to explain the complexity of threats sea turtles and their oceanic habitat face.

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We won’t save sea turtles just by ceasing to use plastic straws or stopping eating fish. There is so much going on, from direct exploitation to climate change, plastic pollution, chemical pollution, loss of nesting habitat and invasive species. All of this needs to be addressed if sea turtles are to have a future on this planet.

If people take just one message from my book, then it would be that we need all hands on deck to save sea turtles and that each of us can contribute towards their survival every day. I also wanted to showcase life as a conservationist: the fulfilment and extraordinary adventures, but also the hardships and sacrifices it brings.

By sharing my personal life journey with sea turtles, which took me from a small and grey landlocked town in Germany to studying marine biology and working with sea turtles in the lush tropical environment of Central America, I want to encourage and empower particularly young people to dedicate their lives to nature conservation. Only if there is a next generation of conservationists and sea turtle enthusiasts will we continue to have sea turtles and other animals on our planet. 

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Other topics near and dear to me that I address in this book are general issues in the conservation sector (and academia), ranging from low pay and little available funding to low diversity and neocolonial structures that many people might not be aware of. I am also talking about the importance of data-driven conservation measures to maximise their impacts and outcomes, while being limited by funding, and what it is like to have two hearts beating in my chest – that of a cool-headed scientist and a hot-blooded activist.

Last but not least, the entire book is written from my perspective as a female scientist and conservationist, which provides some insights into the unique challenges we women face and how we navigate this world. I hope to reach people who wouldn’t usually read a popular science book; I don’t want to preach to the choir.

We have an incredible global conservation community, and while I appreciate my friends and colleagues reading my book, I would like people outside our usual bubble to pick it up. It is not my friends and colleagues I need to educate about the plight of sea turtles and our ocean, but people who have never before thought about it. 

Making people understand that not just sea turtles but all of us depend on a healthy ocean is likely the greatest challenge of our times. The colossal issues we and our planet are facing seem insurmountable at times and are linked to the incredible disconnect from nature many people experience. We talk about saving our planet and saving our ocean from the safety of our living rooms, but in reality it really is about saving the life support system for our own species.

The blindness towards the interconnectedness of all living things is mind-boggling to me. We depend on clean water and clean air to survive, we also depend on other ecosystem services such as pollinating insects and animals to produce our food. None of this will exist if our ocean and its inhabitants die. I can only hope that my book and the wondrous world of sea turtles will be one step towards rediscovering a connection and appreciation for nature and all living things. 

Sea turtles are incredibly charismatic animals; some might even say magical. I am counting on their unique charm to help me conjure the beauty and mystique of our ocean into the heads of people while also convincing them that these majestic beings and their oceanic habitat are worthy of our protection. 

We only protect what we love, and we only love what we know. After reading my book, people will know more about sea turtles and their state in our world. Time will tell if this will also lead to more compassion and respect for our ocean. I for sure hope with all my heart that my book will motivate many people to do more and, if they haven’t, entirely fall in love with these prehistoric creatures!

Christine Figgener is a marine conservation biologist, author, science communicator and ocean advocate.

My Life with Sea Turtles: A Marine Biologist’s Quest to Protect One of the Most Ancient Animals on Earth by Christine Figgener is out now (Greystone Books, £18.99). You can buy it from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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