World Sea Turtle Day:

June 16 is World Sea Turtle Day, a day we honor sea turtles. These beautiful reptiles have nested on our beaches for millions of years. So of course they deserve their own day dedicated to their magnificence! The day brings attention to turtles, tortoises and encourages you to learn more and help them survive and thrive. Around the globe countries, celebrate World Sea Turtle Day in a variety of ways.

 

 

Information about Turtles:

How long have sea turtles been around?

Sea turtles have been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth, more than 100 million years! They're air-breathing reptiles who inhabit tropical and subtropical ocean waters throughout the world. Some species are able to withstand enormous pressure as they dive up to 900 meters into the ocean. 

 

Where do they lay their eggs?

Sea turtles nest on thousands of beaches in dozens of countries around the world. Most of their lives are spent at sea. They return to the shore to lay eggs, often making long journeys to go to specific beaches year after year. One species (Pacific loggerheads) migrates over 7,500 miles between nesting beaches in Japan and feeding grounds off the coast of Mexico.

The temperature of the sand determines the gender of the sea turtle, with cooler sand producing more males and warmer sand producing more females. Depending on the species, they may lay up to 250 eggs in one nest; the eggs take around 60 days to incubate.

 

How many species are there? 

There are seven species of sea turtle: Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Kemp's Ridley and Flatback. Six of the seven species are considered endangered or vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Two species (Hawksbill and Kemp?s Ridley) are considered critically endangered.

 

What do they eat?

Sea turtles are omnivorous. Adult green turtles are the only marine turtles to exclusively eat plants. Hawksbill turtles in the Caribbean eat a lot of sponges. 

The diet of a sea turtle depends on the species. Most of them will eat jellyfish, though the Leatherback is the only species to eat them exclusively. Each day, a Leatherback – which can weigh up to 900 kg – can eat its own weight in jellyfish. Hawksbills focus on sea sponges, eating up to 1,000 per year, which helps coral reefs grow since they compete with sponges for space. Loggerheads eat primarily crustaceans like lobsters, urchins, and crabs. 

 

Are there any agreements to protect them?

An intergovernmental agreement – concluded under the auspices of UN Environment – aims to protect, conserve, replenish and recover sea turtles and their habitats in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian region. The agreement, which took effect in 2001, is called the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia.

 

 

What Can You Do to Protect Sea Turtles?

You can help these determined sea turtle mothers and young voyagers improve their chance of survival. During nesting season, you can make a big difference for sea turtles by doing the following:

 

-If you see a turtle nest, leave it alone! Nests are protected by federal and state laws, and harming one can lead to hefty fines and even prison.

-Turn out the lights at night near nesting beaches. Artificial light may disorient hatchlings and distract them from making their dash to the sea.

-When you leave the beach, level the playing field for sea turtles. Knock down your sand castles, fill in holes, and remove everything you brought with you, including gear, food and trash.

-Dispose of trash properly and use reusable bags. Litter on the beach is just one wind gust away from becoming marine debris. Turtles can mistake plastic bags for food and get tangled up in kite strings, six-pack rings and fishing lines.

-Never buy a turtle or tortoise from a pet shop as it increases demand from the wild.

-Report the sale of any turtle or tortoise of any kind less than four inches. This is illegal throughout the U.S.

-Report the cruelty or illegal sales of turtles and tortoises to your local animal control shelter.

-Never remove turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.

-Write letters to legislators asking them to keep sensitive habitat preserved or closed to off road vehicles, and to prevent offshore drilling that can lead to more endangered sea turtle deaths

-Emergency care: If a tortoise is crossing a busy street, pick it up and send it in the same direction it was going – if you try to make it go back, it will turn right around again

 

Never release balloons outdoors. Balloons that find their way to the ocean are choking hazards for many types of marine life, including sea turtles.

 

Save Turtles, Save Our Species. :) :)

 

 

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