Marines Call Off Beach Assault to Protect Endangered Turtles
Military.com | Sep 22, 2016 | by Hope Hodge Seck
A planned Navy and Marine Corps beach landing exercise on the island of Tinian in the Marianas was canceled last week after officials discovered evidence of an endangered turtle species nesting there.
Navy and Marine Corps units, including elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, were in the region for Exercise Valiant Shield 2016, a biennial U.S. field training exercise focused on joint interoperability in a maritime environment. The canceled exercise was a planned Sept. 13 company-sized boat raid onto Tinian's Chulu Beach, employing troops from the MEU's Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines.
The creatures that held the forces at bay were green sea turtles, III Marine Expeditionary Force spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish told Military.com. The turtles can grow to 350 pounds in size and have been listed as endangered since 1982.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/09/22/marines-call-off-beach-assault-to-protect-endangered-turtles.html
