Sea turtles have long been endangered or threatened and there are only seven species of sea turtles left in the world, because of hunting and pollution. However the population of sea turtles just exploded at San Diego's SeaWorld.

Approximately 82 eggs hatched in October. The last successful hatching took place at SeaWorld in 2003 but there were only 21 sea turtles. Park staff had incubated the eggs to try and increase the eggs chances of hatching and they were successful.

Well this time around the Park Staff decided not to incubate them and let nature do its thing. The baby sea turtles hatched on Shipwreck Beach without any assistance from park staff. The turtles hatched on October 5 from ping pong sized eggs. The babies have been steadily growing and will be on display at the park before the end of the year.

Since so many eggs hatched this year at SeaWorld the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will determine whether the new turtles stay at SeaWorld and if the turtles will be allowed to mate again next year. There are already 30 adult sea turtles at the park including three green females and one male. These adults range in age between 40 and 50 but they generally live to be over 100 years.

These turtles are in their prime for reproduction which means the park doesn't know if these baby turtles are from the same mother or many. All three females had buried eggs in the sand on the beach so in order to determine who the mother is, the baby sea turtles will be undergoing genetic testing. Staff will also be digging up Shipwreck Beach in order to see how many eggs failed to hatch.

Not much is known about sea turtles but experts know they mate in the water, then go up onto the sand. While on the sand the female will dig three different holes in order to fool predators but they end up laying their eggs in only one hole.

The nest in the sand generally holds between 100 and 120 eggs. Then the eggs incubate in the sand for three months. Depending on how warm or cold the sand is will determine the sex of each baby. The babies when they hatch only weigh a few grams but can reach 250 pounds by the age of 20. The babies live on squid, krill, shrimp, and special pellets provided by the staff.

Even though there are only seven kinds of sea turtles and they are all endangered or threatened; these babies will help them make a rebound. Since humans are the biggest problem for this species it will take a lot in order to be removed from the endangered list but sea turtles are gradually making their way back.

If anyone has some extra change lying around during this recession that has hit the world and the U.S. very hard then now is the perfect time for travel. Since we are in fall right now the weather is still pretty nice, plus it isn't the tourist season. This means lower rates on hotels, tours, admission fees, and much more. Plus, there are fewer people to battle, shorter lines at tourist destinations, and fewer people in the background of your pictures.

Although the American dollar doesn't go very far in many countries particularly Europe you will be relieved to hear that Lonely Planet has just put out their top ten recommendations on "Best in Travel 2010." This guide recommends the best places to go and things to do in the following year, plus there are many exotic vacations that do not include pricey Europe.

The top countries to go to next year are El Salvador, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname, Greece, Germany, and the United States. Only two European countries are on this list plus Greece is one of the more affordable countries Americans can visit in Europe. Money seems to go in Greece than it would in Berlin or France. These countries are expensive to visit especially when the dollar is only 2/3 of a euro.

As for top regions Lonely Planet recommends Alsace, France; Bali, Indonesia; Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; Goa, India; Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, Cambodia; Lake Baikal, Russia; Oaxaca, Mexico; Southern Africa; The Lake District, England; Southwest Western Australia. These regions offer travelers a great experience that is off the beaten path. They get to experience the beauty of the country and more of the local life instead of the resorts, fancy restaurants, and shopping malls.

Besides top countries and top regions, there is also a recommendation of top cities to visit in the world. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Charleston, United States; Cork, Ireland; Cuenca, Ecuador; Istanbul, Turkey; Kyoto, Japan; Lecce, Italy; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Singapore; and Vancouver, Canada.

If these destinations interest you, start planning now. Hopefully you can find good deals but make sure to study the destination before you book. If you don't study you might end up facing cold or wet weather, attractions closing earlier, a public holiday in which the city shuts down, or the fact that the sun sets sooner.

This means that you won't be able to see as many things as you might like because it gets dark so early. A little planning can go a long ways and make you're vacation as enjoyable as possible. Nothing is worse than going on a vacation and something you hadn't realized messes everything up.

Also if you're trying to stay within a budget, start looking for hotels that are moderately priced.  If you wait to long, the modest rooms might be gone and you'll have to splurge on an expensive and overrated place to stay. Also if you go either before or after tourist season, you will most likely get a better bang for your buck. Even though traveling is expensive you can still see those destinations without going over your budget by knowing a few tips.
 

Experts believe they have discovered a new Leonardo da Vinci painting. A Montreal-based forensic art expert Peter Paul Biro is convinced that he has found another Leonardo. In order to identify the artist a century’s old-fingerprint on the presumed 19th-century German painting was matched against a fingerprint found on a verified Leonardo. The fingerprints matched and the results speak for themselves.

The painting was bought in 2007 by a Canadian art collector Peter Silverman for an anonymous Swiss Collector. The painting is of a young woman that looks like a German princess and is known as the "Profile of the Bella Principessa." Before being purchased in 2007 the painting was at the Ganz gallery in New York for several years.

The art dealer Kate Ganz had owned it for just about 11 years after buying it at an auction for a similar price. The painting held the price tag of $19,000. However, since the discovery, the painting could now sell for as much as $150 million.

Many experts in the past disputed whether the piece was actually a Leonardo. However, science proved that it was a genuine Leonardo and the piece could fetch at auction millions of dollars. This was one heck of an investment and the Ganz Gallery in New York has to be kicking itself, because they had the painting for 11 years and missed their opportunity.

This piece of art is the first major Leonardo discovery identified in over 100 years. Biro defends his results by explaining that the print of an index or middle finger was found on the painting and that it matched a fingerprint found on Leonardo's "St. Jerome." Currently “St Jerome" is located in the Vatican and with permission the firm was able to use multispectral images of the painting the lab was able to use a special digital scanner to show successive layers of the work.

Apparently fingerprints are found in several of da Vinci's works. By using multispectral imaging they were able to get a readable fingerprint from St. Jerome and compare it with the fingerprint located on the "Profile of Bella Principessa" painting. The results astounded experts and the world.

So not only does the paining have Leonardo's fingerprint, but also the technique, style, and material composition.  Everything points to Leonardo. Experts were initially reluctant to say it was a Leonardo including the Swiss owner. However the science has proven the theory to be correct and even curators at the British Museum are confirming the find.

Many were skeptical at first especially the Swiss owner.He didn't believe it was a Leonardo and even told Silverman that but regardless the painting was purchased and the testing began. Science has proven otherwise and the "Profile of the Bella Pincipessa" is a Leonardo and now its value is priceless, but the price tag will jump from $19,000 to $150 million.