Dermochelys coriacea • Leatherback Sea Turtle • Mikjikj • Tortue Luth
I feel the water hug me as I glide through it. Cool, as I dive deep and deeper into the abyss. Never have I been jealous of the seabirds flying high in the sky, for they will never experience the serenity found in these waters. The deep sea, where all thoughts and worries fall away, where the light is sparse and I’m safe.
I stay as long as I can, until my lungs are screaming for air. Reluctantly, I begin my ascent. As I rise through the water column I see all the things I hate: the false jellyfish that have suffocated many of my kind, the immovable seaweed that we become trapped in, unable to continue our journeys and that mesmerizing shine that spins and spins until it’s slashing into your skin. Many fear the abyss, but to us, it’s become the one place to find refuge from these imposters.
As I surface and fill my lungs with fresh sea air, I think about those before me. We were here when the sea was filled with creatures bigger than I, the ones we feared. As I take another breath, my mind shifts to the parasites that began to infiltrate our planet soon after the big ones left. We thought we were safe.
I am a Leatherback; I have been around for millions of years. I saw the rise and fall of the dinosaur and yet, even I know the end is approaching.
By Krista Bouwman, who works with Leatherback Sea Turtles in Atlantic Canada and abroad. She’s passionate about ocean conservation and turtles have always held a spot in her heart.
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