Sea turtles are often a draw at wildlife parks. Getting a close-up look at these creatures can be a real treat, but seeing one of them hurt can be devastating.
People on Instagram were sad to learn that a dead sea turtle had washed up on shore on the St. Johns County beach in Florida.
SJC Beach Services (@sjcbeaches) posted the image of a deceased hawksbill sea turtle.
The photo was captioned: "The cause of death is unknown, but plastic was found in its mouth and tied tightly around its front flipper, likely the reason the flipper fell off."
SJC Beach Services also noted this little turtle is a "critically endangered species," which hardly washes up or nests on Florida beaches. They almost went extinct when poachers hunted them for their shells to make decorative items, such as jewelry and glasses.
SJC Beach Services added, "Properly disposing of trash and keeping it out of the ocean is one way we can help the species recover."
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the hawksbill turtle has many threats. Marine pollution is one, but so is getting caught in fishing gear, people harvesting their eggs, loss of nesting and foraging habitats, animals eating their eggs and hatchlings, vessel strikes, and a warming planet.
Many of these threats are hard to combat, but simply being mindful of how you dispose of trash is one way to help.
A great way to help eliminate the plastic that ends up in oceans is to use less plastic. Ditch those single-use water bottles and coffee cups, and bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store. Reusable items are even a great way to showcase your personality. You can find many cute water bottles, reusable coffee mugs, and tote bags, all while protecting sea turtles.
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Sadly, this little turtle washing ashore with plastic is not an isolated incident. A study on loggerhead turtles found that 47.2% of dead turtles had ingested plastic. One even had 67 pieces found inside it.
Oceana Communications Manager Christy Leavitt said in a statement shared with the St. Augustine Record, "The devastating outcome for this hawksbill sea turtle serves as a grim reminder of the harmful impacts of plastic pollution on ocean wildlife."
She added: "We need government policies to ensure companies reduce their production of single-use plastics to combat the plastics crisis and prevent the senseless suffering of marine life."
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