Sea Turtle Week

The Center for Biological Diversity has warned NOAA it faces legal action if it fails to protect endangered loggerhead sea turtles from drift gillnets ahead of a potentially record El Niño.

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Sign of record El Niño spark calls to protect sea turtles off California - Oceanographic NOAA pressed to close Pacific to drift gillnets before endangered loggerhead sea turtles arrive amid fears of a record-breaking El Niño.

Just 2 weeks until !

As part of the celebration, we’re teaming up with the Oceanic Society for a global ocean cleanup to help protect marine life and the habitats sea turtles depend on.

Start planning and register your cleanup event here 👇
https://www.seaturtleweek.com/global-ocean-cleanup

Loggerhead sea turtles are one of the largest sea turtle species, reaching 200 to 400 pounds and up to 4 feet long. They live in temperate and tropical waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, with major nesting sites in Oman, Japan, Australia, and Florida. They are also the most common sea turtle in the Mediterranean.

Their biggest threat is bycatch, getting accidentally caught in fishing gear like trawls, longlines, and gillnets. Turtle Excluder Devices help reduce this in US fisheries, but are not widely used worldwide. In places like Baja California Sur, bycatch rates are among the highest in the world.

They also face threats from coastal development and, in some regions, are still hunted for their meat and eggs.

Learn more about loggerheads: https://www.seeturtles.org/loggerhead-turtles

Ever wondered where the leatherback sea turtle gets its name?

Unlike other sea turtles, it doesn’t have a hard, scaly shell. Instead, it has tough, rubbery skin that feels almost like leather (hence the name).

They’re also ancient, existing in a similar form since the time of the dinosaurs.

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*images taken under activities authorized by FWC MTP 205*