Our charity partners SEE Turtles are incredibly busy right now because it is Sea Turtle Week. They are working with more than 60 groups to raise awareness and protect these majestic creatures.
Each day between June 8th and June 16th is dedicated to a specific breed of sea turtle and one of the dangers pushing them toward extinction. The week is a great opportunity to learn more about sea turtles and educate others, particularly young people, about them. Better still, it is the perfect time to organize a beach or riverside clean up in your area or to make some changes in your own life to protect sea turtles.
The week began with World Oceans Day on June 8th. Canada first proposed the idea of World Oceans Day back in 1992 at the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro. More than a quarter of a century later, our oceans are in more peril than ever before. American Victor Vescovo set a new record for the deepest dive in a submarine last month when he reached a depth of seven miles below sea level. He found a plastic bag and candy wrappers on the ocean floor. We are pouring plastic garbage into the sea at a rate of eight million metric tons a year. And it is killing sea turtles.
A Turtle a Day…
Five fabulous sea turtles have a day in the spotlight this week, and each day is also dedicated to a particular threat to our oceans.
- June 9th was Flatback Turtle Day, and the focus was on costal development and recreation and how our love of beaches and oceans can actually harm them if we are not aware and responsible.
- June 10th celebrated the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, which is rebounding from the brink of extinction thanks to laws protecting their nesting areas, and examined the ocean pollution crisis.
- June 11th saw the Olive Ridley turtle have its day, and reminded us that despite better awareness and legislation, turtles and their eggs are being eaten by humans.
- June 12th is Loggerhead Turtle Day, and the biggest threat facing this turtle is entanglement in fishing gear. In the USA, commercial fishing fleets are required to use turtle excluder devices, but there is no protection for turtles in other areas.
- June 13th focuses on the endangered Hawksbill Turtle, which boasts a stunning shell. Sadly, these turtles are still hunted for their beautiful shells, which are used to make jewelry.
- June 14th is all about the Green Turtle, which nests in Costa Rica, Oman, Australia, Florida, California and Hawaii, among other places. Climate change is the threat to examine on this day.
- June 15th puts Leatherbacks, the largest sea turtle, in the spotlight. Over the last 20 years, the population of Leatherbacks in the Pacific has declined by 90%, partially because plastic bags resemble their favorite food – jellyfish. So plastic pollution is this day’s focus.
- June 16th is the cumulation of the week with World Sea Turtle Day.
It might be late to get involved this year, but now you know about Sea Turtle Week and can be ready for it next year. We’re proud to help by making a donation to SEE Turtles every time you make a purchase from us, not just this week but every week.
Turtle jewelry would be the perfect present for any turtle admirer!
