The Gauntlet 2
Gauntlet Kills Hundreds Of Turtles!
By Counselor Shawn
July 14, 2005
I am writing this in disbelief and anger. I have loved MTV for more years than some of you readers have been alive. Today I found out that Bunim/Murray Productions ignored repeated warnings and requests to move their beach activities of THE GAUNTLET 2 to nearby unoccupied beaches. In their quest for the "best shot" for a Reality TV Challenge, the destruction, changing, weight and mayhem on the beach has destroyed 8 nets of sea turtles destroying hundreds of them and burying others alive.
A Sea Turtle representative said, "MTV and its producer Bunim/Murray Productions ignored repeated requests to resolve this problem by moving to one of many nearby beaches not used by sea turtles." The press release notes that "equipment, the presence of about 90 film crew and the removal of sand blocked numerous turtles from nesting and destroyed an estimated 8 nests containing approximately 400 eggs.
Numerous other eggs are now buried beneath densely compacted sand without any hope for escape for the hatchlings."
This is a critical nesting beach for these turtles. We have all become familiar with these lovable turtles (Squirt/Crush) by their portrayal in the Animated Movie FINDING NEMO. The popular seas turtle chants of "Whoa! That was so cool! Hey dad! Did you see that? Did you see me? Did you see what I did? You so totally rock, Squirt! So gimme some fin. Noggin'. Dude! Oh, it's awesome, Jellyman. The little dudes are just eggs, we leave 'em on a beach to hatch, and then, coo-coo-cachoo, and they find their way back to the big ol' blue." Now this beach has been tainted, destroyed and hundreds are dead, several will be born and struggle to try to get out under the packed sand and will be smothered to death. The turtles as a mass will become confused in breeding ground and lose direction and forget or ignore the beach where they have been laying eggs for a very long time.
The production also constructed a set on the beach; an obstacle course that looks like a shipwreck that according to SOS Tobago "Covered an area of beach about 150 square feet and has been constructed over egg-laying spots during the most important breeding month of the year."
A fan of MTV, Gauntlets, Real World and Battle of the Sexes or not I am appalled at this and consider it inexcusable. Bunim/Murray has already received an email from me informing them that I expect them to do what ever it takes to salvage this mess and make sure it never happens again. I encourage all our readers to do the same.
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