TURTLE POETRY
Editorial Introduction. — This section is devoted to poetry involving turtles, representing either reprinted previously published or new unpublished material. We encourage our readers to submit poetry or songs for consideration, either their own material or work by other authors. Poems may be submitted to Anders G.J. Rhodin, Chelonian Research Foundation, E-mail: RhodinCRF@aol.com.
Our desire is to share with our readers the beauty and wonder of turtles as expressed through the art of the poem or song. In the sense that the relationship between humans and turtles is multifaceted, so too is turtle poetry. The poems we publish here will reflect that complexity, from poems of pure admiration for the creatures themselves to others reflecting the utilization of turtles and their products. Some poems will reflect people’s use of the turtle for sustenance, others will stress our need to preserve and protect turtles. Some will deal with our emotional interactions with turtles, others will treat turtles light-heartedly or with seeming disrespect, but all will hopefully help us to better understand both the human and the chelonian condition, and remind us that the turtle holds a sacred place in all our hearts.
A Prayer To The Ocean1
Wallace J. Nichols
We stand at the edge of the sea.
We say nothing.
We breathe its salt, its oxygen.
We see its blue or green or gray.
We listen to the songs
in its waves
and its tide pools.
We may dance.
We feel its coolness.
We step into the liquid,
with all of our brothers
and sisters of all time,
with all of the elements
of all time:
the squid and the whales,
the sea turtles and dinoflagellates;
the silver and copper,
the manganese and sodium.
We swim out as far as we can,
knowing we’ll have to
return to the land.
Editorial Comments. — Wallace J. Nichols [1967–2024] (known as “J” to everyone) was a good friend and sea turtle biologist who passed away tragically and prematurely earlier this year. He was a close friend and collaborator with executive editor Jeff Seminoff and inspired founding editor Anders Rhodin back in 1996 to create this Turtle Poetry section of our journal. We offer the following words of reflection by Jeff Seminoff on J’s impact on sea turtle conservation, human wellness, and his personal association with him.
Dr. J. Nichols was a dear friend and colleague who was a pioneer in both sea turtle research and human mental health. In the early 1990s, he and I shared our most formative years in the turtle world, exploring the less-traveled roads of Mexico’s coast, searching for sea turtles and their nests, learning from locals, and forging a lifelong brotherhood. It was during those magical times that J honed his unique and inclusive perspective that led to a crossover from turtles to human wellness. He was exceptional at building networks of all kinds, for scientific monitoring, conservation movements, creative innovation, and human healing. His ‘Blue Mind’ initiative inspired countless people and reminded us of the intimate connection between water and well-being. J is sorely missed but will not be forgotten; he had a love for turtles and leaves a legacy of helping people help themselves that remains unmatched.
Among his most important contributions in the turtle world were his co-founding with me in 1998 of the Grupo Tortuguero Conservation Network that started in Baja California, Mexico; in 2025 we will celebrate J’s life at the 26th Annual Grupo Tortuguero Meeting in Mazatlán, Mexico. He also was instrumental in launching SeeTurtle, an NGO that promotes sea turtle tourism worldwide, and the Billion Baby Turtles initiative that is working for the safe release of hatchings from sea turtle nesting beaches around the world.
He was also a prolific and successful writer, having published nearly 100 scientific journal articles on sea turtles, but his most influential contributions were books, such as the travel guide, A Worldwide Travel Guide to Sea Turtles, and his bestselling book, Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do. He also contributed several children’s books, including Dear Wild Child: You Carry Your Home Inside You and Chelonia: Return of the Sea Turtle, as well as the coloring book Rolling Along on a Blue Marble Dream.
Thank you, J, for all that you were and all that you did, for turtles, for conservation, for us, and for so many others. We miss you.
