The extremely rare sea turtle Blanche was born at the “Let's Get Cracking” Hatchery Center on the beach of Six Senses Con Dao resort - where the natural environment is preserved, maintained, respected and thoroughly protected.
This is considered an extraordinary miracle of the vast marine world . Blanche is a Chelonia Mydas turtle, also known as a green sea turtle, born with hypopigmentation syndrome, a rare genetic mutation that causes a decrease in melanin in Blanche's skin and shell (the pigment that determines skin, hair and eye color in humans and animals).
Although there are no exact figures on the incidence of leucism in sea turtles, it is recognized that hatchlings with the syndrome are very rare, with some marine biologists estimating the incidence to be one in hundreds of thousands of sea turtle eggs hatched.
Even under the most favorable conditions, baby sea turtles face numerous challenges as they mature. After hatching, the hatchlings must cross the beach to reach the ocean, avoiding crabs and birds, before continuing on to avoid countless fish and marine wildlife to avoid falling prey to them.
Additionally, one of the greatest risks to global sea turtle populations today is the threat from humans, resulting from poaching, pollution, fishing activities, and the destruction of turtles' natural habitats.
Blanche faces not only these challenges, but also difficulties arising from her reduced natural camouflage due to hypopigmentation, which makes her white and easily spotted by predators, especially in water. Leucistic turtles often suffer from a variety of disabilities, and for Blanche, this includes poor vision.
As a rare and beautiful baby sea turtle, it is hoped that Blanche will overcome all challenges to return to the ocean, living a long and happy journey.
Source
Comment (0)