Tommy the sea turtle has been tucked safely under the warm Florida sand, but tonight is the night. Crack! His tiny shell opens, and after a whole lot of wiggling and digging, Tommy finally reaches the top of the sand. He can see the ocean in the distance, and somehow, he already knows exactly where he needs to go.
But getting there is not going to be easy.
First, Tommy has to sidestep a sneaky crab waiting nearby. Then he looks up and sees birds circling in the sky. Tommy scoots across the sand as fast as his tiny flippers can carry him. Along the way, he has to get around trash left on the beach and holes in the sand that are huge obstacles for such a little turtle.
Even bright lights can cause trouble. Baby sea turtles naturally look for the bright, open horizon over the water, but lights from buildings, flashlights, and other places can confuse them and send them crawling the wrong way.
Finally... SPLASH!
Tommy made it to the ocean!
But his adventure is far from over. Once Tommy is in the water, he still has to watch out for bigger fish and other predators while he grows.
And Tommy has some pretty big odds to beat. Scientists estimate that only about 1 out of every 1,000 baby sea turtles survives to become an adult. Think about that — if 1,000 little turtles started their journey together, only about one may grow all the way up.
Sea turtles also need our help. Some kinds of sea turtles are endangered, while others are considered threatened. That means protecting the turtles that are still here is very important.
Kids can help Tommy and his friends too! Keep the beach clean, take your trash with you, fill in holes before you leave, give sea turtles plenty of space, and keep bright lights off near the beach at night.
Tommy may be tiny, but he has one BIG adventure ahead of him.
Now it’s your turn — can you help Tommy make his way through the maze and safely reach the ocean?
