Republic of California, (or “a refuge for aquatic reptiles”)

California Flower: Golden Poppy

California whale: gray

California Fish:  Golden Trout

California Bear: Golden Bear, AKA Grizzers, aka Grizzly Bears.

California Cat: My cat Tiburon (just kidding here)

California Marine reptile? PACIFIC LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE  (starting January 1st, when AB1776 officially becomes effective)

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Some Leatherback facts:

Leatherbacks, like all sea turtles, are endangered.

They travel 6000 miles a year to come to the California Coast and eat Jellies.

Leatherbacks are the largest sea turtle in the WORLD

Leatherbacks can weigh as much as 3 refrigerators.

The world wide population of Leatherbacks has dropped 95 percent since the 80’s, which is truly a shocking number.  Here’s hoping that California’s small gesture will encourage current and future sea turtle conservation here and around the world! *although the feds recently designated almost 42,000 sq miles of ocean on the west coast as critical habitat for leatherbacks.

To put it in perspective:

“Leatherback sea turtles are best described by superlatives: They are an ancient lineage outsurviving the dinosaurs; they are the largest sea turtle on Earth; they can dive to a depth of over half a mile—as deep as the giant whales; they have one of the longest migrations of any animal (6,000 miles across the entire Pacific), and unfortunately, [they] are the most endangered sea turtle in the Pacific due to incidental capture in industrial fishing drift nets and longlines,” states an Oceana press release. (Quoted from this article here)

Cool. Go leatherbacks.  Go california.  Here’s hoping I get to see a leatherback sometime in my future, as it’s on my bucket list

happy friday from the merbabe

Another article with information I looked at