Some 150 tiny Diamondback Terrapin turtles held up air traffic on runway number 4 at New York’s JKK Airport for some thirty minutes last week. The occasion was special although traditional, as they were only doing what comes naturally and have been at it for generations. Their breeding grounds lie on the other side of the airport on the shores of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife refuge.
Flight controllers redirected incoming planes to other runways as the
tiny turtles purposefully marched across the airport. But turtles are slow and to speed things up, airport workers quickly scooped them up, placed them onto the back of pick-up trucks and safely transported them to their sandy destination.
These turtles measure about 6-9 inches in length and although this trek of sorts does happen every year, this batch has been the largest ever to emerge. This turtle walk is expected to continue for the next few months until the breeding season is over at the end of the summer.
These tiny reptiles have made a comeback, and although they may be an odd sight in the middle of one of the world’s busiest airports, they are a welcome one. Over-fishing during the course of the last few years rendered this species almost extinct and it is now estimated that some 2,000 turtle nests thrive in the salty marshes of Jamaica Bay.
Diamond terrapins face other predators besides man. Raccoons consume almost 95% of the eggs but conservationists are trying to reverse this trend.
The future looks bright for the diamond terrapin turtle even if traffic at runway number 4 at JFK Airport will keep air personnel on their toes for the next few months.
Welcome back, Diamond Terrapin.