The oil spilling from a damaged rig in the Timor Sea above Australia's Top End is threatening sea turtles and whales. The Kimberly region in the northwest corner of the country is several hundred kilometers south of the spill where Australian flatbacks, hawksbills, and greens nest.

An Australian TV program recently highlighted the Kimberly region and its humpback whales, which have returned from near-extinction.  It is a stunning piece that gives you a short but memorable overview of the whales, the people, the land and the nearby oil spill.

Recently, olive ridley hatchlings were found for the first time in Western Australia -- adding another sea turtle species that relies on this remote and wild coastal region. According to the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance , "the Bardi-Jawi Rangers had an extraordinary find recently--Olive Ridley hatchlings in Western Australia!

What makes this extraordinary is that WA is not a part the recognised range of Olive Ridleys as the species has never before been recorded in the west.

Further adding to the story, the hatchlings were reported to the Rangers by one of the Awesome Foursome Olympic rowers on a beach that had been closed by Traditional Owners to four wheel drive traffic to protect turtle nests."

Comments

1. Comment by renata, Feb 9th, 2010 4:15am

   I am sure if we all start acting for the sake of our planet, we still have a chance to save our own lives. Nature is already very unhappy with what we have done to it (new reports of natural disasters at http://rapid4me.com ). It has warned us already and has now began acting...
   




2. Comment by renata, Feb 9th, 2010 2:39am

   I am sure if we all start acting for the sake of our planet, we still have a chance to save our own lives. Nature is already very unhappy with what we have done to it (new reports of natural disasters at http://rapid4me.com ). It has warned us already and has now began acting... This case in not an exception, it is just one of many (((




3. Comment by renata, Feb 9th, 2010 2:38am

   I am sure if we all start acting for the sake of our planet, we still have a chance to save our own lives. Nature is already very unhappy with what we have done to it (new reports of natural disasters at http://rapid4me.com ). It has warned us already and has now began acting... This case in not an exception, it is just one of many (((