Fora e marinha (Outside and Sea)

Today is a gorgeous day in Sofala Province.  Mom and I decided we needed to have our breakfast outside to enjoy the lovely breeze.  There is a daycare or a school nearby and we can hear the kids playing outdoors.  I thought I would just send a few pictures of our peaceful pequeno-almoço fora (breakfast outside).

This is our view from Mom and Dad's veranda.  As you can see, they live in an enclosed complex, as most people do here in Mozambique.  I think some might feel claustrophobic to live within walls, but it feels normal to me.  It is a standard security measure here.  The tenants prior to Mom and Dad added nicely to the garden, leaving a peaceful green space for them to enjoy.  

This is not your typical garden gnome.  This is the skull of a sea turtle, tartaruga marinha.  Sea turtles live in all of the world's oceans except for the Arctic, but like many creatures, have been hunted for food to the degree that their populations are dwindling.  In some cases, they are hunted for their shells as well.  (I should add, this skull was in my parents' garden they arrived.  I'm hoping it was just found on the beach.  Hunting of most species of sea turtles is illegal.)  Did you know that sea turtles can live eighty years or more?  I also learned they are immune to the sting of the box jellyfish.  Sea turtles can then eat the poisonous jellyfish, which helps to naturally control the jellyfish population.  

I really love learning about natural systems.  The balance in the world is so delicate.  It is amazing when it functions as it should and heartbreaking when the natural order is disturbed.  Consider these examples of the connection of the sea turtles to their world.  Sea turtles return to the beach to lay their eggs.  Some even return to the specific beach where they were hatched.  The nutrients from the nests they create and from the eggs they lay help to fertilize the sand dunes and beaches, which in turn provide better growth of vegetation.  The vegetation is vital to prevent erosion.  I read that on one 22 mile stretch of beach in Florida, sea turtles lay 150,000 pounds of eggs annually.  If that number diminishes due to hunting of the sea turtle or her eggs, the beach will also be affected.  A sea turtle will lay about 100 eggs in a nest.

Sea turtles also eat the sea grass on the bottom of the ocean.  Sea grass needs to be cut back in order to grow.  The beds of sea grass are where many types of sea life lay their eggs.  Fewer sea turtles would mean less growth of sea grass.  This would then impact other marine life, including some which are a food source for humans.  

Well, now you've had your lesson in ecosystems for the day!  I hope it has been a helpful reminder to take care of our world.