Environmentalists in Ghana are working to establish six sanctuaries for giant sea turtles along the country’s Atlantic coast, and they hope the refuges will attract eco-tourists. The Ghana Wildlife Society and other groups aim to raise some $20,000 to protect beaches where hundreds of sea turtles lay eggs between August and March. The turtles, which can weigh up to 440 pounds and live for more than 100 years, swim thousands of miles out to sea, but the females return to their native beaches to nest. Enviros estimate that at least two-thirds of the turtles that return to Ghana are now killed by locals.
