Several different types of sea turtles can be found in your National Marine Sanctuary System:
Green sea turtle, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Hawai‘i (Photo: Ed Lyman/NOAA)
Hawksbill, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico (Photo: G.P. Schmahl)
Loggerhead, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia (Photo: NOAA)
Volunteer, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia (Photo: Judi Duffy)
One of the best things you can do to help sea turtles around the world is to reduce marine debris. Some species of sea turtle eat jellyfish, and a floating plastic bag can look an awful lot like a snack. Other marine debris, like cables, string, and fishing gear, can entangle a sea turtle and drown it.
Even if you don’t live near the ocean, our waterways can carry trash to the coasts – so every cleanup effort helps!
GIFs: A NOAA staff member helps disentangle a green sea turtle in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. (Image: NOAA)
Started in 2000, World Turtle Day aims to increase the public’s knowledge about turtles and tortoises. At home wherever they roam, turtles are some of the most diverse creatures – over 300 turtle species exist with 57 species in the U.S., and they’re found on every continent except Antarctica. And they play a vital role in the ecosystem, helping spread seeds on the land and supporting other marine life in the sea. On public lands across the country, we are working to protect turtle habitat and monitor turtle nests and hatchings.
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