A Sea Full of Turtles: The Search for Optimism in an Epoch of Extinction

by Bill Streever

An inspired and impassioned story of adventure that explores the richness of marine life and charts a path of resillience and hope. Everyone alive today is witnessing a mass extinction event caused by the more than eight billion humans who share this planet. At times, it seems there is little hope. Climate change, resource exploitation, agrochemicals, overfishing, plastics, dead zones in our oceans, drought and desertification, conversion of habitat to housing, farming, and industrial infrastructure—the list of impacts and insults goes on and on. We are, it seems, on an unalterable path that will continue to decimate biodiversity. A feeling of hopeless, while not unwarranted, is part of the problem. Without hope, without some belief in the possibility of positive outcomes, the fight for nature is over. Why even try if the battle is already lost? While staring the problems squarely in the face, A Sea Full of Turtles offers hope for those who care about our living world. Delivered as a travel narrative set in Mexico’s Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), at one level the book focuses on dramatically underfunded but highly successful efforts to protect sea turtles. But the book goes beyond Mexico and beyond sea turtles to look at how some humans have changed their relationship with nature—and how that change can one day end the extinction crisis. Enchanting, galvanizing, and brimming with joy and wonder, A Sea Full of Turtles will inspire immediate action to face the great challenges that lie ahead. Pessimism is the lazy way out. Optimism, it turns out, is both a reasonable and an essential attitude for us all as we fight for the beautiful diversity of life on our Earth.

Genres: Animals, Nature, Science

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2024

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently had my first experience witnessing sea turtles hatching, this book caught my eye. There was a lot of interesting content; I enjoyed learning about turtle conservation projects in Mexico and background information about turtle biology. Though the book focuses on turtles, the broader narrative is the author’s own journey of being pulled between hope and cynicism towards conservation. I assumed that the book would ultimately favor optimism: I thought turtle conservation would be much more of a success story or that there would be a grand climax where the author witnessed a sea full of turtles and was able to grasp on to that experience as a hopeful vision for the future. By the end though, it’s hard to believe the difficulties and challenges facing turtles will ever be surmounted by conservation programs, and I was left unconvinced that there was reason to feel optimistic or that the author even felt that way.

There were a handful of other points that rubbed me the wrong way, specifically ignoring the field of conservation/environmental psychology while giving personal opinions about human behavior, and bringing up "neuro conservation"; and assuming that half-earth & zero population growth are championed by all true environmentalists and presenting a pretty unfair depiction of counterarguments.

[Chris Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book but it missed the 5 star mark for me. I’m friends with “turtlers” in Volusia County Florida so very aware of the nesting habits etc. I did learn a few things about turtles and I enjoyed a lot of the history and the humor and the environmental efforts taking place around the world. I was surprised by the focus on just Mexico and would have an appreciation of more research into and descriptions of turtle efforts worldwide. There was some of that but I definitely learned much more about the Baja Peninsula than I wanted and there was not much warning in the book description that that was the focus. Given that it was the focus man I sure wouldn’t have objected to a nice map! Anyway sadly not quite what I expected and was thinking of getting it as Christmas gifts but it missed the mark for that. Too bad too because I loved his writing style and his reasons for optimism.

[Jim Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the work that Bill Streever has done with this book to highlight the efforts being made in Mexico to protect and help increase the population of sea turtles in the world.

Two things strike me - the immense impact sustained effort can have when carried out by small groups of dedicated people, and the enormity of the problem, as extractive industries and human consumption of things from the Earth continue unabated. While Streever focuses on individuals and small groups, what stood out to me is the positive impact that policy can have.

I like how Streever finds reason for optimism with regard to sea turtles and a number of other endangered species. I’m glad I read this book.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wouldn't you have loved spending the pandemic sailing around in the Gulf of California (formerly the Sea of Cortez) looking for sea turtles and those who care for them? Join Bill Streever as he and his wife, photographer and marine biologist, Lisanne Aerts, find out about how the turtles in the Gulf of California are faring, how the culture of the area has changed regarding turtles, and how turtle activitsts and scientists are trying to help. Don't get me wrong -- Streever shares some of the worst of the species extinction, but he also shares his thinking about why we have reasons for hope. And besides, he starts out with Turtle Sex -- can't beat that!

[Gary Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read for anyone interested in conservation and in particular ocean conservation and all living species that inhabit the ocean. Though the books title implies it being all about sea turtles it is way more than that. It covers the Baja Peninsula and islands around Gulf of California, the people who live in the towns and the small fishing hamlets, the animal and bird populations. It is also a passionate please from biologist to think about our planet and what we can do as individuals to help sustain it in ways better than most if do today!

[Lorene Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A welcome dose of inspiration and optimism in these difficult times for the land, water, and air we rely on to live. I really enjoyed learning about turtles in this story that weaves personal reflections, interactions with experts and locals, with a healthy dose of hope for the future. This was a much-needed perspective shift. I am left with new-found hope that our actions can make a difference for the future of our planet.

[Foggygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of an impulse buy on my part but it turned out to be a good impulse, great read about the the hopeful inroads being made in turtle conservation in the gulf of California.