Sea Turtles have been swimming in earth’s waters for the past 110 million years. In Florida we have 5 different species of Sea Turtles: the Leatherback, Green Sea Turtle, Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, and the Hawksbill. A little bit about Sea Turtles. They eat algae, sea cucumbers, sea sponges, and a lot of jellyfish. They can easily mistake a plastic bag for jellyfish. Once they swallow the plastic bag, they can no longer eat and they pass away. Sea Turtles must stay hydrated even when they live in the ocean. They like fresher water that has a low amount of salt, so they often get their water from their prey.

Sea Turtles: Federally Endangered and Threatened

All 5 types of turtles are endangered or threatened to be endangered. Part of why they are going extinct is the amount of pollution in the ocean, mostly plastic bags. 8 million pieces of plastic end up in our ocean every day. That’s way too much!

Other reasons they are endangered are that people slaughter them for their shells, skin, meat, and eggs. People are also uneducated about Sea Turtles and destroy their nests and kill their babies. Fishers also accidentally catch Sea Turtles in their nets which is called “bycatch”.

We really need turtle eggs for two reasons, one they give us more turtles. Two, turtle eggs provide our sand with nutrients that keep the sand healthy and prevent erosion.

How You Can Help the Sea Turtle

You can help by not bothering turtle nests and not bothering the turtles themselves. Stop using a lot of plastic and have a friend or family member read this!

Thank you for being on this journey of saving the turtles!