Tourists and the Turtles

STONE HARBOR, N.J. - June 29, 2007 (WPVI) -- This is the season when female diamond back terrapins lay their eggs. Unfortunately, it corresponds with tourist season.

Since the end of May, 267 turtles have been killed crossing seashore roads. The good news is 255 others have been rescued either by motorists stopping to put them back into the salt marshes or by the turtle patrols from the Wetland Institute in Stone Harbor, New Jersey.

In recent years, terrapin barrier fences have been put up. They look like construction fences, but they're designed to keep the turtles from the road. They appear to work

Turtles that are killed are taken back to the Wetlands Institute and the eggs are harvested and incubated.

Injured turtles are cared for in what you could call a turtle hospital. Eventually, they are fitted with microchips and transmitters so they can be tracked on land or in the water.

Researchers study the turtle's habits. One thing they've learned is that the females come back to exactly the same spot every year to nest.

Once the eggs hatch, the young terrapins are nurtured at Stockton College. When they're big enough, they are returned to the wetlands.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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