Wednesday August 3, 2011, 3:56 pm
Thanks Cal. This is personally very terrible news. Several years ago went on an Earthwatch expedition to count leatherback females coming ashore on a small island to lay their eggs and the numbers eggs laid. Follw-up teams watched for predators and did protecting. Now I'm adding my salt water tears in memory of those.

No evidence that the deaths are human caused, could have been the earth burping poison from the continental shelf. The poisons or other enivonment factors could also be of human origin. Remember how many pollutants and poisons we produce and allow to drain into the big toilets called oceans.

Wednesday August 3, 2011, 4:07 pm
Sorry Cal. I didn't mention the boats and inattentive sailors in with human causes of death. The leatherback ladies we attended had to go through many hazard of boats, both large and small. Some had new injuries, some had plastic they hauled along on their flippers to reach the sandy beach to lay their hopes for new generations of turtles.

Wednesday August 3, 2011, 4:24 pm
Oh Dang, their are eating all of the Junk that Mankind put into the Oceans, plus trying to swim through fishing lines, plastic...

No words fit for print, these special and wonderful creatures sadly will not be here for future generations in my humble opinion!

Wednesday August 3, 2011, 4:27 pm
"Sorry, They are Eating" got wound up! Forgive me

Lin, you got it on your second comment with the boats, fishing lines....all of the GOOP that Mankind puts into Trash and they just could care less...Ummm Going to come back to bite them on their ARSH when they want their children to see something special, and UMMM ALL GONE!

Wednesday August 3, 2011, 4:29 pm
sadly noted, I agree with the comments!

Wednesday August 3, 2011, 4:43 pm
very sad

Wednesday August 3, 2011, 5:38 pm
I also agree with all the above comments.
But maybe they've just given up knowing whats in store for them now that the repugs have taken away most of their protections!

Wednesday August 3, 2011, 9:10 pm
Let's hope that something can be done to protect these creatures. Their extinction would be a real loss to our oceans and people who care about preserving a species that's been around for 110 million years!

Thursday August 4, 2011, 2:26 am
noted

Thursday August 4, 2011, 3:17 am
A very Sad story ab. these Gentle Creatures.. :-(
TY C

Thursday August 4, 2011, 5:02 am
Why are they killing us?

Thursday August 4, 2011, 6:17 am
Sadly noted, thanks Cal.

Thursday August 4, 2011, 9:58 am
Sadly noted. Extinction is forever, and humans need to realize that. Slow down the boats, slow down the mass fishing, and certainly keep the trash out of the ocean!

Thursday August 4, 2011, 12:57 pm
How terrible. Thanks Cal.

Thursday August 4, 2011, 3:17 pm
There should be a speed limit and a no go area for boats during a certain time of year to protect these marvellous animals. Common sense. Jellyfish are reproducing at a phenomenal rate and causing problems.

Thursday August 4, 2011, 3:40 pm
It's not only the garbage humans dump in the ocean, or boat strikes but also people gathering just-laid eggs for food. That has to stop and it needs to be a world-wide effort. I hate to say it but mankind is a viral scourge on this Earth.
Sadly noted, Cal

Thursday August 4, 2011, 9:06 pm
Try TOXIC WASTE...........................LIKE OIL!!!!