Each time I walk over the Chamberlain Bridge into or out of the heart of Bridgetown I glance over the side, hoping to catch sight of a hawksbill turtle paddling about in the waters below. It's not very often that I see one, but whenever I do it makes my day.

Turtles are among my favourite animals, and the hawksbill is a particularly lovely turtle (which is part of the reason why they are critically endangered; people hunt them for their shells). And there's always a thrill of surprise and delight for me to see such a beautiful creature hanging around in the dirty, murky green waters of the Careenage.

I haven't seen any turtles in town lately (it's no longer their nesting/mating season, so that may be why), but every now and then, when I need a little pick-me-upper at work, I look at greyfelt's Careenage turtle photo, and it never fails to make me feel better.

Visit the websites of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation and Sea Turtle Survival League and the Barbados Sea Turtle Project to learn about efforts to protect Caribbean turtles.

Also, the chance to swim with turtles has become quite a Barbadian tourist attraction. I haven't tried it yet, but I really should.

966 days ago