Marine Life: Turtles

Turtles

People can hurt sea turtles without even knowing it. Dump-ing garbage in the ocean, like plastic bags and balloons, really hurts sea turtles. To a turtle, a floating plastic bag or bal-loon can look like food. Sea turtles get very sick when they eat this kind of trash. All sea turtles are endangered. This means that there are not many of them left.

Turtles are some of the slowest animals on land. But in the ocean, sea turtles swim quickly through the water. They be-gin their lives on the beach. They hatch from eggs buried in the sand. As soon as they are born, the little turtles, called hatchlings, hurry back into the ocean. They do not return to the beach until they are ready to nest. Even though sea turtles live in the water, they need air to breathe. They must swim up to the surface to take in air. Most snack on jellyfish and other ocean creatures.

Sea turtles face many dangers, especially from hu-mans. People take over turtles habitats by building hotels and houses on the beach. Some people also bother nests when they are playing on the beaches. This makes it difficult for mother turtles to find safe places to dig nests and lay their eggs in the sand.

In some areas of the world sea turtles are hunted by people. Their eggs are eaten for food. Their shells are used to make jewelry and even guitars. Some suntan lotions are made with turtle oil.

Turtles

Turtles are marvels in the scheme of evolution and they have been swimming in the seas for over 100 million years. They can live for many years (over 80 and upwards of 100). Sea Turtles are found in many warm waters and most species mi-grate long distances to feed and nest, with some going over 1,000 miles. Sea Turtles play an important role in the marine ecosystems and their survival is vital for the welfare of the oceans.

Turtles wonders of nature

Marine turtles are economically important to humans. In recent years, marine tur-tles have become increasingly important as an eco-tourism attraction. This has led to a rise in tourism operations that provide jobs and income to seaside communities throughout the tropical and sub-tropical part of the world. Marine turtle watching increases peoples interest in ma-rine and coastal issues and inspires commitment to sup-port conservation efforts.

Turtles in danger; how you can helpThere are many ways to help. What each can do Tell your friends about the Turtle Foundation. Avoid restaurants with turtle soup, turtle eggs or turtle meat on the menu. Report the relevant res-taurants to the Turtle Foundation. Do not buy any products made from turtles such as tortoiseshell or similar souvenirs. Do not disturb nesting turtles by your presence, noise or lights. Avoid hotels that have destroyed beaches which have been used by the turtles for nesting.Divers: Dont touch riding turtles is no fun. Never toss cigarette butts or plastic bags into the sea. Turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish (the favorite dish of some species); cigarette butts swell in the stomach. Keep yourself informed and stay up-to-date for ex-ample by visiting the various internet pages about turtles.

Turtles in danger; how you can helpMarine turtles are economically important to hu-mans. In recent years, marine turtles have be-come increasingly important as an ecotourism attraction. This has led to a rise in tourism op-erations that provide jobs and income to seaside communities throughout the tropical and sub-tropical part of the world. Marine turtle watching increases peoples interest in marine and coastal issues and inspires commitment to support con-servation efforts.

From the Amazon to the Arctic, WWF is building a future where human needs are met in harmony with nature. By 2020 we will conserve 19 of the worlds most important natural places and significantly change global forces to protect the future of nature. Our experts are active at every level from field work to government - conserving the largest tropical rain forests, the most diverse coral reefs, and the worlds most endangered spe-cies.WWFs way of conserving the planets natu-ral resources combines our unmatched global reach with a foundation in science, it involves action at every level from local to global and it ensures the delivery of innovative so-lutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.

85 percent of WWFs spending is directed to worldwide conservation activities.

Bibliographyhttp://turtle-foundation.org/Schildkr%C3%B6tenInfos/tabid/66/Default.aspx

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/marineturtles/marineturtles.html

http://www.volunteerguide.org/vacation/service-projects/sea-turtles

http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/index.html

http://www.seaturtles.org/article.php?id=2211

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle