Sea Turtles Need Our Help

Before dinosaurs roamed Earth, sea turtles graced the oceans. Seven sea turtle species are recognized today:

• Green sea turtles, so-called for the green tint their body fat acquires from the plants they eat
• Hawksbill sea turtles, the classic "tortoiseshells" prized in the past for decorative implements and accessories
• Leatherback sea turtles, the most ancient, weighing close to a ton and swimming 10,000 miles a year
• Loggerhead sea turtles, with heart-shaped carapaces and massive heads and shoulders
• Kemp's ridley sea turtles, the rarest of all: little salt-water rockets found mostly in the Gulf of Mexico
• Olive ridley sea turtles, which come ashore in mass arribadas to lay their eggs
• Flatback sea turtles, found exclusively in the bays and calm coastal waters of the Australian continental shelf

Seven species - and every species is recognized worldwide as endangered. Each species has natural predators, but the disruptions humans cause to sea turtles' lives and habitats pose the biggest threats. Click here to learn about simple steps you can take to help save our sea turtles.

There are a number of sea turtle conservation organizations in the United States and worldwide. The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island, NC, is one such facility dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick and injured sea turtles. Click here to learn about the work of this all-volunteer sea turtle hospital.

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