I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST TURTLES by Francis Le Guen

The mood of Francis Le Guen

Because sometimes, do not mess around!

Music credits: Erwan & Eric Le Guen

But still… Actually, I have some sort of personal problem with turtles. Cultural… Already, all you have to do is watch TV. Not an animal documentary without its turtle. Not a trip without "the turtle beach". Yes, they come to lay in the sand. You know well. We see it everywhere!

Then, “nature” trips. So there is the bouquet. I challenge you to find an excursion where you will not be offered a visit to the local beach "unique turtle nesting place"! So you will spend part of the night lying shivering in the wet sand, in the frontal, to watch these large turtles give birth, egg by egg at the end of their disgusting trunk. And leave, dragging herself like unfortunate women to the foam. But wear them, once and for all when they are finished! Seeing them shit like that, surrounded by tourists, it hurts your heart ... Otherwise, there is a variant: "the birth of turtles". There, it's the opposite: the eggs which hatch, all these baby turtles which come out of the sand and which start to descend towards the sea. Finally, those which arrive there because you know the history: the birds are there and prick 9/10 for a definitive first flight. The opportunity to shed a (turtle's) tear on the cruelty of nature which otherwise does not care!
So we are sold turtles back and forth!

This is a subject of choice for documentaries in search of inspiration: which undoubtedly explains the abundance of scenes of turtles on TV. This is what I thought. Until I do TV myself. And that I discover, horrified, what must be called the "turtle conspiracy". Let me explain.
All the destinations that I had the pleasure of presenting to you in the Carnets de Plongée programs obviously did not offer the same attractions. Question of ocean, latitude, richness of ecosystems, virginity of the place… However, whatever the conditions, it was necessary to succeed in completing a 26 'program. And not to serve yourself twice the same menu: there would have been complaints!
So, even if in some cases, the poverty of funds hardly allowed the choice, I believe that we took the bet to tell you a different story in each episode. But what headaches! It was sometimes necessary to deploy treasures of imagination to populate some underwater deserts that I would not mention.

More than one center manager has tried to "drown the fish", praising his destination with the utmost bad faith. And that's where the turtles come in, but I'll come back to that ...
We are told that they are endangered. Too hunted. In Rodrigues, for example, in the time of explorers, it seems that we were walking on the backs of turtles to the boats that came to exterminate them without setting foot on the ground. We are far from it today: we are forced to walk in the sand!
On the other hand, you have to put yourself in the place of hunters. Because ultimately, there is no more idiot than a turtle. It passes and shell. And it's easy to catch up even if it leaves just in time. It is tempting. All you have to do is turn it over, cut out its belly with a machete and grill it over a wood fire, in its shell: food, and cutlery!

Sea turtles are the same. Not to mention that there are lots of different species: green turtles, carrots, lute, of all sizes, of all colors. Go there! So, with a gun, with a net, with dynamite: there is no shortage of means to feast on turtles.
Yes, but they are endangered and protected everywhere. Well. There are even associations to protect turtles. We count them. We re-introduce it. Well. It is very good ! Long live the turtles.
But, imagine the nightmare: the team of the Carnets de Plongée, recently arrived on the other side of the world, is not fresh: the jet lag. We all remember the dozens of turtle sequences from previous films… Only water changes! We will not come back to it. Promised. But now the first dive on site reveals the extent of its desert! So, with bloodshot eyes, we cook the people in charge, we give birth to them, we track together the sites likely to constitute a story ... We must nevertheless bring back a film! The guy is dancing from one foot to the other, quite annoyed. And suddenly, his eyes shining, illuminated by The Revelation, he takes out his trump card and says, mouth to heart: “Aaaah but I have a great spot for you! With turtles!
Pffff ...

Naturally, the head of the center does not understand that I am sweeping away this tortoise shell manna with the back of a palm and asking to see something else. His dear turtles! Her wealth ! We come from all over the world to see them! And them, there, spitting in the soup ... Meeeeerde!
Aaah in this job, we don't just make friends ...
But it's like a curse… Everywhere I've been, I'm served turtles. Florida: freshwater turtles! Cenote Angelita in Mexico: a turtle! Rodrigues: turtles. Red sea: turtles! We believe to be quiet in Polynesia: turtles!
Endangered? Species to protect? My eye: there are everywhere!
We tried to shoot as many as possible with plastic bags in the shape of jellyfish, but there are still some! All over ! Fortunately, in some advanced countries, I was able to film guys who hunt them who fish them and who eat them! It is also delicious ... turtle soup.

Text & audio: Francis Le Guen