C A B D sig There are seven species of sea turtles in the world and six of them are classified as endangered Three species are said to be critically endangered and the hawksbill sea turtle is one of those species Sea turtles are endangered because of human activity If humans choose not to take steps to protect these critically endangered animals they will soon be extinct Every two to five years female hawksbill sea turtles return to the area where they were born to mate They leave the sea and choose an area on the beach to lay their eggs They dig a pit in the sand fill it with about 130 eggs cover it and then retreat to the sea The eggs are now on their own Humans must do something to help the sea turtles One solution is to turn off the lights on beaches where sea turtles nest Another solution is to use turtle safe lighting on the beach These red lights emit less visible light and therefore do not confuse the hatchlings Executing either of these simple actions could improve the likelihood of survival for hawksbill sea turtles After about sixty days the eggs hatch The most dangerous time of the hawksbill s life is now The hatchlings must travel to the sea before they are devoured by predators Crabs and seagulls prey on these hatchlings How do they know where to go Sea turtles are attracted to light Before electricity was invented the brightest light was the moonlight reflecting on the sea Therefore the hatchlings would simply follow the light and end up in the sea Unfortunately things are not as simple anymore Beaches have become popular places filled with houses hotels and condominiums Even at nighttime shorelines are well lit If the lights are on the hatchlings become confused and wander inland toward the bright lights As a result many die before they can find the ocean 555 1 SEQUENCE What do female sea turtles do immediately after they lay their eggs They sit on their eggs They abandon their eggs and return to the sea They cover their eggs with sand They start gathering food for the baby sea turtles to eat 2 A B C CAUSE AND EFFECT How do red lights help sea turtles People set up the red lights in a line and then the hatchlings follow the red lights from their nest to the beach The red lights emit less visible light which makes the beach darker This allows the hatchlings to follow the moonlight to the sca like they are supposed to do People set up red lights on the beach to help female sea turtles Identify the safest place to build their nest 3 FINDING DETAILS IN A TEXT When is the most dangerous time of a hawksbill sea turtle s life A B C D when the sea turtle eggs are buried in the sand when a female lays her eggs when a newly hatched sea turtle enters the sea and must learn to swim when a newly hatched sea turtle leaves its nest on the beach and travels to the sea