An Interesting Peice of Livestock

[skiutah]

I am from Utah and I fly all over California every week. Yesterday, I was in San Clemente at a beach and I was talking to some local teenagers. We got talking and I ended up finding out they all were into Salt Water Fish Tanks big time. One of the kids mentioned he had a sea turtle in his tank. I was like.... uh... do you realize that is illegal? I didn't really believe the kid, so he walked me up to his house, off the shore of the beach and low and behold! A Sea Turtle! He had a 500 gallon tank and has had the turtle for 5 and a half years!! The kids father told me you can buy them for 10K from a local guy, who catches and breeds them, from somewhere up the coast. I know all these guys could get into HUGE trouble, but I thought it was SSSOOOO interesting to see a wild sea turtle in someones home. I actually ended up calling the "sea turtle preseravation society" last night to report the incident. They told me they were going to do some heavy investigating. I know the kids had no intention of hurting the turtle, but it was still wrong. Just a little story I thought I would share with you guys.

 

[coachklm]

just a stupid show piece.........like people and thier tigers/leopards ect....
love to see a follow up on that one. thats one more dead sea turtle if released to the wild.

 

[seahorse11]

Why would you report this kid? If he had the turtle for 5 1/2 years then it must be taken well care of and the kid obviously loves this animal. The turtle is in a big enough tank so its not like its in a small tank and cant move and is in distress and being mistreated. This kid took you to his home to show you,,,a fellow sw aquarist,,,his turtle and then you turn him in?? I think that was a very horrible thing to do.

 

[aquafox]

I can see both sides of this story...this particular turtle seems to be well taken care of. My larger concern, as an animal rights advocate, would be reporting the person they got it from. He may be selling to anyone who can come up with the cash and who knows what environment the turtles may end up in. I think that in this instance, looking at the long term welfare of sea tutles in general, this had to be reported. Would I have gone about it the same way - maybe not. I might have tried to obtain the name of the seller and report him, leaving this sea turtle alone....but we have to do the best we can with the info we have....and I think that is what happened here. If the sea turtle rescue organization gets involved, surely they will understand that this turtle needs to go to an appropriate facility and not be released into the wild.
As a side note, I have seen the other side of people who scrape up the money to purchase an illegal animal. My mother and I work as wildlife rehabber's in the state of GA. She has had the game warden bring her many animals they found illegal to own in inappropriate environments. Most notable a black bear cub and several rattlesnakes being kept in a mobile home with three very small children. The snakes were not caged well and were actually found during the bust to be in tanks in the living room with light screen lids - no latches. In front of the tv in the living room were the three small children....who knows what disaster that could have been? Not to mention the cub living in a small cramped dog pen.....I am happy to say, all of these animals were appropriately health checked and placed. The snakes back to the wild and the bear cub, to a protected facility where he can be a wild bear but without the dangers of predators or hunting....
See there can be happy endings.....so I say, the report was the right thing to do....I applaud your decision to make this world a little safer for a few sea turtles.... :happyfish

 

[boalgf]

I agree, tough decision. I am, however, of the belief that if someone invites a stranger in to their home and that stranger abuses that good faith, the stranger will be forever damned. Hopefully the turtles stop getting sold though.

 

[drea]

thats messed up, leave the kid alone, if i had the money, i would do it...... lif isn't fair at all... so who cares, not like the turtle will kill anyone!

 

[skiutah]

I don't mind that the kid had the turtle, I just care about the turtles in general. I was calling to protect the turtles, not get the kid in trouble.

 

[madman133]

I believe if the kid had the turtle for 5 1/2 yrs he was obviously taking good care of it. And that he was willing to spend 10k on it also shoes his dedication. If it were me i would have left the kid alone especially since he envited you into his house and trusting you. so yes i would have reported the dealer and not the kid. Not to flame anyone but thats is my view.

 

[bluephi115]

wow that really is crap that you reported the kid....5 1/2 years he ust be doing a heck of a job. most sea turtles die in the wild, sounds like he was saving one...if he bought it like that and it was raised i dont know that is still illegal...is it?

 

[seahorse11]

First I want to say Thank you to Aquafox for his dedication in saving animals. I am also an animal lover and hate to see animals hurt...it broke my heart to see the animals stranded and dying in new orleans. Second, I agree with reporting the seller of the turtle. He could be selling to anyone. We had an interesting thing happen in a city near me. There is a park with a huge lake. One day someone walking their dog saw 2 ALLIGATORS in the lake!! I am south of Boston, we dont see alligators around here. The wildlife society said that someone must have had them as pets and when they got too big, they couldnt take care of them and released them into the lake! Its a shame that people buy exotic animals then realize that they cant care for them. I have seen some people on this forum asking where to buy a leafy sea dragon ( the seahorses that look like leafs). I hope the kid who had the turtle for 5 1/2 years didnt get into trouble.
Keep up the good work Aquafox. ***)

 

[bluephi115]

he turned in the kid though....not the dealer.

 

[rappa]

Anyone who is spending 10 grand on a sea turtle is not gonna treat it like crap! The kid has a 500 gallon tank for crying out loud! I would say it is in an appropriate home. I could see turning the guy in if he was selling them for a hundred bucks but 10 grand? The people who buy these are going to be responsible people anyways. I don't know many people that are willing to toss 10 grand to kill a turtle. I can't believe you turned him in. That's crap...

 

[mitzel]

for a teenager to trust you is a big thing and then for you to break that trust is very sad.
It might just be my guess but a bit of jeliousness surely had something to do with your actions.
two wrongs don't make you right, is the way I see it .

 

[goldenboy]

Turn in the guy selling the turtles. Let the kid go.

 

[celacanthr]

I would have done the same thing that you did skiutah
1) Sea turtles are LARGE creatures they really do need a lot of space. I mean if you go to any reputable aquarium in the world, you will notice that they don't put the turtles in even the 700 gallon tanks, they put them in the largest tank that they have. I really doubt if a 500 is appropriate
2) Sea turtles live for a LONG time, I mean a VERY long time. Saying that 5 1/2 years is doing
a very good job, is like saying that you kept a linkia for a whole 5 1/2 months in a 20 gallon tank, and calling that a great job
3) Skiutah doesn't know where the turtle dealer is, but he did know where the kid is. The kid obviously knew that it was illegal, so he knew that it was punishable. He needed to learn responsibility, all part of growing up.
This is my 2 cents
P.S. Also, do you know the species?

 

[skiutah]

I don't know the species. One more thing... Do you guys really think I wanted to turn the kid in???? I was doing it for the turtles!
Leave me alone! Geez! It was a spur of the moment decision! ARGGHH!!

 

[meekel454]

i can honestly say i'm not sure what i'd do in that situation. i'd defintatly want the guy selling them caught but wouldn't want the kid to go to jail either, however his father is just has guilty if not more.
but either way i think it's an interesting story

 

[mimzy]

Skiutah, I salute you.
As for those of you who think that spending 10k on something shows how much you care - I am sorry but that is an incredibly naive and warped way of looking at it.

[hr]

[hr]
drops Twenty THOUSAND k on a massive cocktail ring so she can wear it exactly ONCE, and then put it away. All those gowns you see on all the stars on the runways? Hundreds of thousands of dollars - sometimes into the millions, and for the rest of the owner's lives the pieces stay locked in a closet. It's all about the bling-bling.
It's the EXACT SAME THING for someone who spends 10k on a sea turtle. Their spending only proves that they care for THEMSELVES and their image, NOT the turtle.
Celacanthr is exactly right - 5 years for a sea turtle is nothing. Its growth may already be irreparably stunted, and it could still be horrifically malnourished - the results of which may not be seen for TENS of years. These things have been recorded to live over 100 years long - and are suspected to live longer.
And don't worry about the kid - he's a minor, nothing will happen to him. His father will be fined and the turtle remanded to authorities. More likely than not, however, the state will offer the father a lower penalty or even NO penalty if he provides the authorities with informations leading to the apprehension of the poacher. And yes, that evil man selling the sea turtles is a POACHER.
Skiutah, again, kudos to you, and don't feel like you need to catch any of the flak people are sending your way. My Mother always says: "Where there are no men, you must be a man."

 

[harndog]

Just sitting here thinking about this I do think the kid should be taught a lesson he obvisouly knew that keeping the thing is wrong. I don't know if I would have turned him in though. I may have you just don't know until you are in that situation. Good for you Skiutah for doing what you thought was right. I like many others when first reading this thread thought man that was a crappy thing to do. But after thinking about being in your shoes it was the first thing that came to your mind and that turtle will be in an even better place in a larger tank for all of us to enjoy if we so choose. The kid will be scared badly and the dad will get off if he chooses for turning in the guy doing this.
All this being said and for those that had the same thought as me at first. Think about this it's a turtle if the guy will sale turtle's for 10,000 on the black market whats to keep him from saling our children or other things dear to our hearts. These types of rule breakers need to be eliminated from todays society. I am not a mean person by nature but if somebody messed with my kids or animals I would become so very fast.
Bottom line he got what needed to be done. done!

 

[madman133]

Ok theres one thing that i would like to know and it accualy makes a big difference in my opinion. How old was the Kid?