Turtle Atoll

Turtle Atoll
The flag, designed by Melvin Turtleheimer.
A map of Turtle Atoll. Islands include Forsten Welcome to the south, Aldabra and the Aldabra Sand Dunes to the left and north, Loggerhead to the right, with the island of Shinyville in the center, surrounding by the Sheltzen lagoon in the center.
Key details
Type	Atoll, U.S. territory
Location	Weddell Sea
Inhabitants	Sea turtles, turtles, tortoises, some penguins

Turtle Atoll is an atoll and U.S. territory in the Weddell Sea, known to hold the only turtle population in Antarctica. The atoll, though appearing small on maps and satellite images, is bigger when stepping on foot on the atoll. The atoll is known for being one of the uncommon warmer locations, in line with other warmer or tropical regions and countries like Tropicalis, the Warmslates and Western Barrens. The atoll has a population of 360, with an additional 44 for sea turtles that come in and around the atoll. Only 13 non-turtle inhabitants live in Turtle Atoll, with these combined having a population of 415. Tourism does come around, and turtles who are travelling and or immigrating, stay in Turtle Atoll for three months.

Turtle Atoll's history can be traced back to early penguins that landed on the atoll, when the atoll was originally a full island, before due to climate and tectonic shifts, alongside natural disasters, the atoll dispersed from its former island appearance, and became an atoll. The changes of the atoll also resulted in underwater, volcanic vents turning the water in and surrounding Turtle Atoll to have a warmer climate. In 1980, a group of turtles and a sailing cew of penguins coincidentally met on Turtle Atoll, leading to a friendly discussion and deal, that lasted 10 years, due to policies at the time, before finally establishing itself as the Turtle Atoll many penguins know today, in 1995.

The atoll currently has four islands forming its shape, with the fourth inner island holding the unique Shiny Forest, which only allows officials are allowed to visit, and is off limits. The water within the atoll, is known as Shelltzen, its ancient name by surviving penguin inhabitant records and findings, while it is known by its colloquial name by locals as Shell City, which boasts underwater housing for sea turtles and hosts tropical marine life. One of the more famous inhabitants, Melvin Turtleheimer, hatched here, and currently represents Turtle Atoll in the South Pole Council. Turtle Atoll is a territory of the United States of Antarctica, owned since 1995.

History

Ancient history

Turtle Atoll's history didn't began as an atoll, but as an island; prehistoric relics and finds around the atoll, both on land and shallow water have found various fossils of prehistoric animals and some of the earliest penguins, whom arrived here before the eventual turtle populace. The island is thought to have been around the same size as the atoll today, but around a mile or so wider, and the eventual inner lagoon of the atoll was full land, which was said to be in this state around one million years ago, during the Pleistocene period. In the next 25,000 years, circa 975,000 years ago, the island began to take on its eventual atoll size. Due to an earthquake that is well-known and recorded during Antarctica's Pleistocene history, the earthquake rattled the island, and split the land around the island, specifically around the inner center. In the years to come, the eventual lagoon began to expand, first starting as a rather large lake. Amongst the only known tropical-temperate locations, Turtle Atoll relatively remained this way, before the end of the Pleistocene around 35,000 years ago, 940,000 years later, in which the island soon began to take the shape it has in the modern era.

The earliest penguins, whom first arrived on Turtle Atoll around a million years ago, had expanded on the island, but up until the great Pleistocene earthquake, the penguins that have been living there, began a sharp decline, and it is thought the last pocket of surviving early penguins went extinct around the island's eventual modern form, around 34,500 years ago. Following the end of the Pleistocene into the current era, the Cenozoic, Turtle Atoll remained uninhabited for the next thousand years.

Modern history

Early mentions

The first known mention of Turtle Atoll was by ancient sailors around the 1700's, alongside high penguins from the nearby northern mainland, which became the High Penguin Confederacy, modern day Freezeland. The atoll was said to be empty, and despite its somewhat moderately large size on its western side with several undiscovered animals then unknown, it was relatively used as a resting site, with many sailors and pirates resting and taking times to walk and eat. Modern findings in Turtle Atoll history have also found leftover fragments of surviving sailing items beneath the sand and dirt. However, since then, attempts to retrieve or colonize the island were unsuccessful.

Founding

In 1980, a small populace of terrestrial turtles from "South Africa" arrived in what would become Turtle Atoll. At the same time, research into less explored regions were underway by a national team from the United States, during its Olde time period. The then called "Weddell Atoll," was uninhabited, still only written in modern texts at the time as a former place where ancient pirates and uncommon fauna were the former and current inhabitants. The meeting was unexpected, but both parties had a friendly welcome. The two groups, led by the Antarctican sailor Henry Gorge, and the turtle leader, Scallops Turth, patrolled the entire size, noting its surprising warm climate, the rare uncommon animals, and the overall size and climate behavior of the atoll. Following this, the government began to do expeditions and extensive research around the atoll, both in and around, on the land and on the water.

However, due to several policies at the time, the Weddell Atoll wasn't turned into the modern Turtle Atoll immediately, due to some disputes by some high-ranking buyers, owners, and general laws at the time holding back the founding of Turtle Atoll as a territory, which last for a decade and five years. However, in 1995, following Olde Antarctica's change into the Colonial Period, Turtle Atoll was established, with Turth's party being the main ruling power of the atoll, and Turtle Atoll being part of the territories owned by Antarctica. Construction began on Turtle Atoll's largest island on the west, Aldabra, following a welcome area on the lower island, Forsten Welcome. Further searching found the smaller inner island that would be the location of the Shiny Forest, and several housing apartment buildings were built for future inhabitants, alongside several drawbridges that connected from island to island, to the open warm sea. The northern portion of the atoll, in a westward curve, connected to Aldabra, is known as the Aldabra Sand Dunes. Further research around the island from geologists and hydrologists have found underwater, non-threatening volcanic vents beneath the waters, which gives Turtle Atoll it's soothing, warm tropical-like climate and waters.

It was due to these factors that Turtle Atoll became a tourist attraction, both attracting penguins but also turtles as well; the turtles that landed on Turtle Atoll sent out invitations and messages to other turtles and tortoises outside of Antarctica, ranging from common turtles, tortoises, and even Sea turtles, leading to the first underwater housing project on the eastern island of Loggerhead, where the major sea turtle populace lives, alongside migrating turtles who tend to temporarily stay in Turtle Atoll, and within the first two months alone of it's founding, 66 inhabitants, 55 of them being turtles and tortoises and 12 penguins came to live on the atoll. Amongst them would be famous attorney Melvin Turtleheimer, who currently acts as the representative for Turtle Atoll.

King Tortoise and President Crabby's exile into Turtle Atoll

In 2009, the former king and president of Turtly, King Tortoise and President Crabby, where exiled and deposed from their island by the Imperial Forces, led by the Imperial Emperor, Raleigh. Following their despot and exile, both former rulers landed in Turtle Atoll, where they were immediately noticed and given temporary homes on Turtle Atoll. Following this, the former king of Turtly got involved in making desperate pleas with the South Polce City council, eventually resulting in a failed invasion of Turtly, now formed as Zenthexia, proposed by his friend President Crabby. Because of King Tortoise and his friends, associates, and all people who lived on Turtly, they can't do much in their exile and diaspora, but what is known is that King Tortoise was soon given a full home in Turtle Atoll near the Cove, where he, alongside President Crabby, currently live.

Media reports of this event gave their sympathy to the tortoise and crab, alongside the dispersed citizens of the former Turtly, with a lot of media outrage towards the Imperial Emperor and the newly formed Zenthexia.

Geography

An older, amateur map of Turtle Atoll, during it's founding and expedition stage in 1987.

Biome and fauna

The biome of Turtle Atoll is of the tropical-reef biome; the tropical portion of Turtle Atoll consists of tropical grass, trees, and the most dominant of all, being of common sand. The waters exhibit the reef biome, where common reefs and corals call the lagoon home.

Fauna include the mentioned corals, uniquely evolved tropical fish, alongside common migrating small birds, a small amount of small mammals, some common insects, and large non-sapient crustaceans.

Climate

Climate chart for Turtle Atoll
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
9   19 10	7   17 12	9   18 11	10   19 15	8   20 14	6   21 17	4   24 19	5   22 18	7   20 16	9   19 16	10   18 14	11   16 10
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.4   66 50     0.3   63 54     0.4   64 52     0.4   66 59     0.3   68 57     0.2   70 63     0.2   75 66     0.2   72 64     0.3   68 61     0.4   66 61     0.4   64 57     0.4   61 50 average temperatures in °F how much rain falls

The climate of Turtle Atoll is a mixture of temperate and tropical weather, due to the volcanic vents beneath the island and a supposed ripple in the ozone layer, giving Turtle Atoll it's pocket of warmth-based weather. In the early and last months of a year, Turtle Atoll is commonly around the 50 to 62 degree fahrenheit temperature, with the hottest being in the summer months, with July peaking the most, around the 72-75 degree fahrenheit category. The hottest recorded day on Turtle Atoll was on July 17th, 2013, recorded at a maximum of 83 degrees fahrenheit, a rare pocket of tropical-like warmth that arrived on the usually cold land of Antarctica.

The water around Turtle Atoll is around 62-65 degrees fahrenheit, whereas the lagoon has a slightly more warmer temperature, around 70-72 degrees fahrenheit, perfect for the marine life inhabiting the waters.

Topography

The islands of Turtle Atoll are marked by several large arches which act as drawbridges to each island. When arriving to Turtle Atoll, they arrive in the southern portion of Turtle Atoll, known as Forsten Welcome, named after turtle craftsman and original inhabitant Sheldon Forsten. Forsten Welcome is encompassed by a large dock that leads to two large buildings, with a triangular building in the middle, the Forsten Plaza. The two buildings are the welcoming center to the left and a hotel to the right. From there, visitors can travel left or right to which ever destination. Heading left, they head to the largest island of the atoll, Aldabra, where it acts as the atoll's main street and hub, with a long, strip mall-like set of buildings, consisting of the local restaurant, supermarket, book store, and other types of stores, such as the famous Turtle Atoll Confectionary, based on homemade sweets made by the turtle populace, said to have been brought from outsider locations like South Africa and "The Americas." Around this area is a local small lookout in a circle-shaped portion of pavement looking out onto the sea. Across the lookout is a small housing apartment housing turtles and some penguins, with the Turtle Atoll Town Hall, built inside of a cave overlooking the lagoon known as Sheltzen, where the current mayor, Jonathan Crush, gives speeches, meetings and public events, with a plaza in front of the town hall. Smaller houses, notably those belonging to the law officials and other important people, like King Tortoise, Melvin Turtleheimer, and President Crabby, reside in. Heading up north, the atoll connects to the eastern side, in an area called the Turtle Atoll Sand Dunes, a collection of sand dunes in the northern region of Aldabra, slightly curly to the top left, that overlooks the atoll, the lagoon, and the sea.

From the drawbridge, it connects to the eastern island known as Loggerhead, named after the sea turtle locals that live around underwater housing that were built near the shallow waters of the lagoon, with the major underwater populations around Loggerhead. Loggerhead Island has the most biome of all the atoll, with it having a 70% range of mostly green grass and tropical trees, where most of the island's fauna live on, though obviously all around the atoll. Loggerhead Island has two splitting trails, one that lead to the beachside view of the ocean, and the other leading to the entrance to Shinyville, a smaller island within the lagoon that holds most of the turtle population, surrounded by the Shiny Forest. A portion of the Shiny Forest is available to the public, though the rest of it is hidden, as it holds an additional law building where officials have secretive and confidential discussions and similar. The lagoon in the middle, known as Sheltzen, is colloquially known by locals as Shell City, with it having its own unique biosystem of coral and fishes only unique to Turtle Atoll, ranging from colorful blue and red corals in classic tubular shape, colorful tropical fish evolved from colder species, and a supposed monster.

Government

The current government of Turtle Atoll is run by the mayor of the atoll, Jonathan Crush, and co-lead by his son, the vice mayor, George Crush, both hailing from long-living families of tortoise bloodline. Even exiled rulers King Tortoise and President Crabby work as councilors for the time being within Turtle Atoll, with the former still advocating for the reclamation of Turtly, now Zenthexia.

Economy

The economy of Turtle Atoll runs on the Antarctic gold common coin, and the largest exports from Turtle Atoll consist of fake turtle shells, since they are banned outside Turtle Atoll, and organic seaweed, which are farmed and harvested to later be part of cuisine, whether it be common packaged snack bags of dry seaweed, sushi, typical vegan cuisine or as a common topping on pizza.

Notable residents

The most notable residents consist of the turtles that live and come around the atoll; it is called Turtle Atoll after all, and the turtle populace may all be notable residents. However, amongst them, alongside penguins, include a few names of interest.

• King Tortoise, the first former ruler and king of Turtly, now known as Zenthexia; friend of President Crabby.
• Melvin Turtleheimer, local Turtle Atoll born resident, attorney at law, friend of Professor Zlo Shroomsky, and representative of Turtle Atoll in the South Pole Council.
• President Crabby, the second ruler and president of the former Turtly; friend of King Tortoise.

Trivia

• Some want Turtle Atoll to be it's own unique micronation.
• The flag of Turtle Atoll was made by Melvin Turtleheimer.
  • The flag was originally a simple rendition of the past U.S. flag with a shell added, but when Melvin proposed a new flag designed, the mayor at the time agreed and let him design it, where the modern flag is.
  • The flag has several meanings: The top field in the left upper hoist quarter is based on the current U.S. flag, but with a turtle shell in mind. The three shells represent the turtle races that live there, with the orange shell representing tortoises, blue shells for sea turtles, and green for common turtles. The strip of white at the right end of the flag represents a blank canvas for creativity and expansion on the atoll.

See Also

• King Tortoise
• Melvin Turtleheimer
• Turtly
• United States of Antarctica