You probably don’t want to hear me say “Can you believe these turtles are still moving at approximately the same rate and in the same direction?!” again because I’ve said that before. (But I’m thinking it.)
I like this first map because it shows beautifully how much more time these leatherbacks spent in Canadian waters—where they were resident for a few months—than in any other place on their trek south. All of those bright dots layer on top of one another up around Atlantic Canada, and then stretch out like a line. We will see the dots doubling over themselves again when Margaret and Jacquelyn reach the place to which they’re migrating—though exactly where or when that will happen I can’t say.
I also like this map because it shows our turtles reaching the edge of it—straining the boundaries of that North-America-centric view. It sets us up for the wonder of the next map—which reveals how much more there is to see in the world. How much bigger the world is than just our own place.
And that’s something I’m thankful for on this American Thanksgiving Day. I’m thankful for a big world with lots of places in it, and the gift of sea turtles that help connect them.
