Rare Giant Turtles Are Returning to Beaches Deserted by Tourists Across World | 22 Words

It is unbelievable to say, but the pandemic crisis has had an undeniable effect on our planet... in a good way.

Keep scrolling to learn about the super rare giant turtles that are emerging on beaches that have been deserted by tourists...

As we are all well aware, lockdowns have been implemented all around the world...

via: Getty

 Thanks to the uncontrollable spread of the deadly virus, we humans have no choice but to self-isolate and stay indoors.

It's safe to say that things are now deadly serious.

People all around the world are certainly feeling the strain and staying confined in their homes isn't as easy as they imagined.

But staying indoors is potentially saving lives...

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 And it is also saving our planet.

The empty streets have made a staggering impact on the environment...

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 And this truly goes to show how the human race has severely damaged Planet Earth over the centuries.

Pollution levels are at an all-time low...

Since January, many parts of the world have seen a drastic drop in pollution levels since lockdowns were implemented.

Wuhan in China now has almost unrecognizable stats...

via: European Space Agency

 Wuhan is where the virus initially started, and since the city's lockdown back in January, nitrogen dioxide levels have dropped drastically.

And thanks to these drastic drops in pollution...

Mother Nature is thriving more than ever, with plants flourishing and wildlife making appearances in the most unlikely of places - including bottlenose dolphins recently swimming in the crystal clear canals of Venice in Italy that are usually overridden with tourists.

This is truly incredible to see...

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 And it goes to show how without us humans taking over the streets, the planet is slowly beginning to heal itself.

Endangered animals are also benefiting from these global lockdowns...

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 And nature has been allowed to take its course without any interruptions.

And now, something remarkable has happened.

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 Last week on March the 22nd, a shoreline in Paulista, a town in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, Brazil, experienced the births of many endangered turtles.

This particular beach is a very popular tourist spot...

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 But in recent weeks, the beach has been left completely deserted after the state governor Paulo Câmara ordered a partial shutdown in the area, urging residents to stay indoors and restricting them from gathering on beaches.

The absence of tourists has made a wonderful difference...

via: Paulista City Hall

 Ninety-seven hawksbill sea turtles broke free from their shells and took their first cautious steps towards the Atlantic ocean, with almost no one around to witness the scene.

Hawksbill sea turtles are considered a critically endangered species.

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 The WWF explained how this species of turtle helps maintain the health of coral reefs as they remove prey such as sponges from the reef's surface and they also provide better access for reef fish to feed.

The same goes for many different species of sea turtle...

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 And in more recent days, rare leatherback turtles have been emerging on beaches in Florida and Thailand after not being spotted for decades.

Leatherback turtles are the largest species of sea turtle in the world...

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 And sadly, they are considered endangered in Thailand and they are also listed as a vulnerable species globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Experts believe that the reappearance of these turtles has a lot to do with the lack of tourists...

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 And we don't doubt that for a second.

The numbers are significant here in the States...

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 According to recent reports, on Juno Beach, Florida, staff from the Loggerhead Marinelife Centre have discovered seventy-six nests over an almost 10-mile stretch of sand in the first two weeks of the season, a "significant" increase on last year.

And in Thailand...

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 The largest number of leatherback nests in 2 decades has been found on beaches bereft of tourists, according to environmentalists.

No such nests have been found for 5 years...

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 "This is a very good sign for us because many areas for spawning have been destroyed by humans," Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, the director of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, said of the eleven nests they found.

We humans are easily the highest risk to turtles...

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 "If we compare to the year before, we didn't have this many spawn, because turtles have a high risk of getting killed by fishing gear and humans disturbing the beach," Mr. Kittiwatanawong added.

This is a remarkable improvement for the wellbeing of sea turtles...

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 And we can only hope that when the pandemic blows over, we can start to make some drastic changes in order to protect our wildlife. Keep scrolling to read about the seconds-old baby chameleon who didn't realize he was out of his egg...