Japanese school children clean turtle

Elementary school students have tried their hand at cleaning sea turtle shells at a museum in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan. The loggerhead sea turtle nesting site on Ohama Beach in Minami Town is designated as a National Natural Monument in the country.

The Hiwasa Sea Turtle Museum near the beach keeps 11 sea turtles. About 30 local students who are learning about sea turtles at school visited the museum on Thursday. The children first received instructions from the museum director, such as not putting their hands near the turtles’ faces to avoid being bitten.

They then carefully used scrub brushes to wash algae and grime off the shells and flippers of four turtles, including 75-year-old Hamataro. Hamataro is believed to be the world’s oldest loggerhead sea turtle on record in captivity.