The Ocean’s Ancient Mariners: Protecting Sea Turtles
Sea turtles have roamed the oceans for millions of years, playing a key part in keeping marine life in balance. Today, they face serious threats both in England and abroad, from pollution to habitat loss. Whether you live near the coast or miles inland, your choices impact their survival.
As with all marine creatures, they are suffering from oil and plastic pollution, over-fishing, by-catch (when caught in nets) and ship strikes.
Simple swaps to help sea turtles
- Litter travels on tides, so never drop litter at the beach (or off a boat) as it could end up in the stomachs (or tangling) creatures here and far away .
- Avoid balloon releases (these fall to the sea and look like jellyfish to sea turtles, who then eat them, and often choke or die.
- Other ways to help are to choose reusable over disposable, and use waterless car washes (home drive and supermarket car washes send untreated oily water down drains, and into the sea.
- If you eat fish, look for sustainable-certified brands, which don’t use by-catch methods (that catch other marine creatures in nets).
- To help prevent oil pollution, wrap small amounts of oil in kitchen paper and bin (same with cream liqueurs). For larger amounts, use an oil recycling container and take to the tip.
- This photo by Jordi Chias highlights issues of ghost fishing waste, after he untangled a sea turtle trapped in fishing net.
If you sail a boat and spot any marine wildlife, keep at least 100 feet away (or further away if possible for large creatures). If the creature approaches your boat, switch the engine off and slow speed to 4 knots.
WiSE is a wildlife-friendly boating course (it only takes five hours).
Never use jet skis or flash photography. If you dive or snorkel, enter the water gently, to avoid splashing, and again keep your distance – it’s their territory, not yours.
Support seagrass meadow restoration
Seagrass meadows are critical to sea turtles, especially young green turtles, which feed on this underwater grass. In the UK, these habitats have shrunk due to pollution, anchor damage, and development.
Advanced Mooring Systems makes boat anchor alternatives to protect seagrass beds and turtles. Anglers can invest in monomaster (a small device to store fishing line that unlike conventional bins, does not encourage birds to nest and also get tangled).
Stop light pollution
Beachfront lighting disrupts nesting turtles and confuses hatchlings as they make their first trip to the sea. If you live near a coast, keep outside lights dim and shielded, especially during nesting season. Encourage businesses and councils to use wildlife-friendly lighting.
Never buy Tortoiseshell Souvenirs
Once used in jewellery and trinkets, tortoiseshell (from the hawksbill sea turtle) is now illegal worldwide. Don’t buy any items made from real turtle shell, whether at home or abroad. Look for certified wildlife-friendly souvenirs, and report any illegal wildlife products to authorities.
How to help stranded/injured turtles
If concerned about any marine creature, call British Divers Marine Life Rescue (RSPCA and Coastguard can also put you through).
You can take Marine Mammal Medic Course, to join rescue volunteers (you must have a smartphone – and receive a lifejacket and insurance for the first year).
The Story of the Sea Turtle who Banned Straws
Straw waste accounts for 10% of all ocean plastic (their shape and size miss sewage filters – one clean-up on US shorelines found 7.5 million plastic straws). Then marine creatures are injured by sharp edges.
My Life with Sea Turtles is the autobiography of the marine biologist who was behind the famed viral video, when she and others removed a foreign object from a turtle (they initially thought it was a tube worm).
It’s quite shocking to watch, but the turtle was okay and released back to the sea. Hopefully never to come across a straw again.
We are not going to fix the world, by phasing out plastic straws. We never aimed so small. It was like a stone that fell into the water, and created little ripples that became waves. This really horrible thing inspired many people, and sparked something good. Christine Figgener
Unless you have a medical condition that requires one, you don’t need drinking straws (you could use your lips?) But as billions are used worldwide, it makes sense to look at reusable alternatives.
Don’t give straws to babies (as for pets, they are choking hazards). Open cups let babies develop facial muscles for speech/eating.
Which countries have banned plastic straws?
Not many, the majority of countries worldwide still allow them. In the US, there is no federal ban, but some states (like Florida and California) have brought in bans. President Trump has not only reversed a ban on plastic straws, but ordered all federal departments to not use paper ones, presumably to support the oil industry (plastic is made from oil).
A few years back, McDonald’s replaced plastic straws (but not plastic lids, which rather defeats the point) on their McFlurry’s. Which led to a petition of over 50,000 people demanding they be returned, as the paper ones ‘went soggy’. Then it was found that the new paper straws could not be recycled, so they had to go back and redesign them. We have a long way to go.
