Mission to save and relocate 70000 sea turtle eggs begins

Apparently, wildlife experts are planning to excavate more than 800 nests across these two beaches in coming months.

"Shy of letting the hatchlings swim in oil, it's our best alternative. We're confident if they go into oil they're going to die," said Sandy MacPherson, the national sea turtle coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Once rescued, all the eggs will be sent to a temperature-controlled ware-house at the Kennedy Space Center on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuse via FedEx.

The team of experts at Center will monitor them till they hatch in about 10 days time and then will release them into the Atlantic Ocean.

No guarantee of turtles survival even after being saved
Though the rescue missions to save sea turtle eggs have started, wildlife experts believe that relocating them from their natural habitat is a risky business as it does not guarantee hatchlings' survival.

Apparently, wildlife experts are planning to excavate more than 800 nests across these two beaches in coming months.

"While the system we've devised will give them at least some chance for survival, it is important to note that relocating nests at any time is also very risky and would be considered only during an unprecedented disaster such as the Deepwater Horizon incident," believes Robbin Trindell, relocation coordinator with Florida's wildlife commission.

BP taking initiative to save sea turtles?
It looks like BP is finally waking up to the plight of sea turtles and others creatures whose lives have been endangered by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Recently, a lawyer for several wildlife advocacy groups (who have sued BP for violating Endangered Spices Act) revealed that BP has agreed to add trained sea turtle rescuers to all its oil cleaning teams when it will again start its “controlled burning” operation in the gulf.

“To keep us from rushing back to court, at a minimum BP and the Coast Guard have agreed to have an observer as part of every single burn team. The things we asked the court for, we’ve gotten,” said William Eubanks, the environmentalists’ lawyer.

Eubanks also said, it’s a rare scenario where environmentalist have swiftly reached an agreement with a company accused of violating environmental laws but it’s good that they have.

BP has escaped from making any comments on the deal but company’s lead lawyer in New Orleans, Don Haycraft, had told judge last week, that the deal “is an example of BP, the government and outside parties reaching agreement on an issue - protecting sea turtles -- that is important to everyone."