World Turtle Day and Special Content
American Tortoise Rescue began sponsoring World Turtle Day in 2000. The day was established as a yearly commemoration to enable people around the world to commemorate and conserve turtles and tortoises and urge human action to help them live and prosper. World Turtle Day was mentioned in a study on the effects of biodiversity awareness days as an example of how they increase online search traffic on protected species.
The creators of ATR and World Turtle Day, Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson fight for the humane treatment of all creatures, especially reptiles.
Jonathan is the oldest known living land animal. He is a Seychelles giant tortoise, a subspecies of the Aldabra giant tortoise. Jonathan lives on the South Atlantic Ocean island of Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory.
Things we can do on World Turtle Day!
Reduce Your Use Of Plastics And Keep Our Beaches Clean.
Sadly, all of the world’s sea turtle species are endangered or on the verge of extinction.
Sea turtles are one of the only animals that feed on underwater seagrass, therefore we rely on them for a lot of the seafood we take from the waters. The seagrass beds are kept healthy by their grazing, allowing other aquatic creatures to thrive.
It’s no surprise that our oceans are now awash in toxic plastics, much of which find up in the stomachs of marine mammals like whales and sea turtles.
Switch off the lights.
During the nesting season, if you live on the beach or are staying at a beach hotel where sea turtles have been known to nest, make an effort to switch off non-essential lights visible from the beach.
Water turtle hatchlings rely on the moon’s light to guide them to safety in the sea, but lights from buildings might cause them to become disoriented and crawl in the wrong direction. If there are a lot of strong artificial lights, adult female turtles may be discouraged from coming ashore to nest.
Visit a turtle sanctuary
Turtle sanctuaries can be found in several nations, and they help to breed or rehabilitate native turtles.
Many provide opportunities to observe critically endangered species up close, such as watching newborn turtles emerge from their eggs. The majority of the money raised from these activities is donated to turtle conservation.
Reduce your chemical usage.
Chemicals and pesticides used on lawns can contaminate freshwater rivers and lakes, as well as our coastal waterways.
These have the potential to seriously disrupt the habitats that our turtles rely on to thrive. Make an attempt to use natural biodegradable materials when washing your automobile or trying to keep your yard green.
Even many sunscreens have the potential to pollute our seas and harm our reefs. While sunscreen protects us from cancer, around 15,000 tonnes of sunscreen end up in vulnerable reefs each year. Look for sunscreens that are labelled as reef-safe and don’t include oxybenzone or octinoxate.
Avoid buying turtle items.
Many turtle species are still hunted for their meat or shells all around the world. Avoid purchasing jewellery or other items manufactured from Hawksbill sea turtle shells.
Turtle items are frequently sold illegally in overseas shops, and if you try to bring them back into Australia, they will almost certainly be confiscated.
Complain about turtle cruelty.
Report it if you see baby turtles being sold in pet stores.
It is illegal to sell turtles or tortoises that are less than four inches long in several nations, including the United States. If you see any endangered turtle species being sold, it is almost certainly illegal.
If you notice someone messing with sea turtle eggs or getting too close to sea turtles that have washed up on the beach, notify your hotel. Your hotel can make contact with the proper authorities.
Let us join hands together and save the tortoises and turtles near us!
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