A B.C. nurse has documented a giant sea turtle swimming off the coast of Haida Gwaii, a collection of islands off B.C.’s northwest coast — a sighting that’s being celebrated by conservation specialists, as leatherback sea turtles are critically endangered in Canada.
Victoria Bradshaw, who works as a nurse in a remote fishing lodge on Haida Gwaii, was out on the water fishing near Langara Island with her coworker Aidan Horne on July 14 when she saw something pop up out of the water.
“I instantly thought sea lion just because we see them quite often, and Aiden, who I was with, kind of announced, ‘That’s not a sea lion. That’s the sea turtle,'” said Bradshaw.
“We kind of dropped everything, and I grabbed my phone and this very large creature just decided to hang out with us for a little while.”
Giant sea turtle spotted on Haida Gwaii
Bradshaw said she was surprised at how gigantic the animal was, estimating it ranging between six and eight feet (1.8-2½ metres in size). At first, Bradshaw says she had no idea how rare it was to spot a leatherback sea turtle, especially on B.C.’s coast.
“I didn’t know it was an option for my bucket list, but apparently it was.”
Leatherbacks are the largest turtles in the world but are critically endangered. According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, there have only been 149 unique sightings of sea turtles on B.C.’s coast since 1931.
“Leatherback sea turtles belong off the coast of British Columbia, but they are the rarest of the rare,” said Jackie Hildering, a communications and education director for the Marine Education and Research Society.
Hildering says they are the only sea turtles that are able to adapt to cold waters and travel thousands of kilometres from as far away as Indonesia to feed on B.C. jellyfish.
“Amongst the astonishing adaptations of these living dinosaurs is that they can deal with a really broad range of temperatures,” she said.
Leatherback sea turtles are recognized as being endangered in Canada and protected under the Species at Risk Act.
Hildering says only about five per cent of the Pacific population is left, and threats to their survival include entanglement in fishing gear, collision with boats and plastic pollution.
“You may not have known that these amazingly adapted living dinosaurs are your marine neighbours, but your day-to-day actions do impact them,” she said.
Bradshaw said she’s seen a lot of wildlife while living on Haida Gwaii, but spotting the leatherback sea turtle has shifted her perspective.
“This animal was very healthy and safe and was just enjoying his life. It was just so magical,” said Brashaw.
“I think a little bit more about how important our waters are to so many different marine mammals and every creature that we don’t even know about. It’s just so important that we protect them and recognize that when we do get those really special moments.”
Hildering asks those who spot a sea turtle to report it at 1-866-472-9663 or visit the Canadian Sea Turtle Network online.
