This was a very eye-opening book about sea turtles and how humans and a disease that is fatal for most of the turtles that get it affects the population of the turtles. The disease is called fibropapilloma and it creates tumors of all shapes and colours all over the sea turtle. It usually starts at the eyes and then spreads all over. These tumors can make the turtle go blind and starve the turtle, but they can also grow inside the turtle's organs and kill them from the inside out. Most turtles will die from this disease, but some turtles are saved by having the tumors surgically removed and only if they don't have internal tumors. As well as talking about this disease, Davidson goes into other reasons, throughout history, why turtles are going extinct (all human-caused) as well as the causes and extinction of many other animal groups (also human-caused). He also talks about people famous in their line of work throughout the book - like George Balazs, the sea turtle activist (and essential saviour), and Steller (who found and documented Steller's Sea Cow, a species like the manatee that went extinct due to humans).
He does all of this in an informative, but sarcastic and entertaining manner so that you stay intrigued the whole way through. I learnt a lot about marine life conservation and how the population of the ocean affects the population on land. This book makes me want to go out and help the sea turtles - or at least see some sea turtles in real life. I have already recommended this book to my family and some friends, but I would definately recommend this book to anyone who is interested in marine animals or just animal conservation in general.
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