Unfortunately, most sea turtle conservation efforts are underfunded, and so they rely on volunteers to share the often heavy workload of protecting these animals. Since sea turtles are found in almost every ocean in the world, opportunities to volunteer with these amazing creatures are scattered all around the globe. This results in a huge loss of nesting beaches. Changes to beach sand temperatures, as well as an increase in extreme weather events, are having a disastrous effect on seas turtle’s precious habitat. Sometimes they’re taken for food, but they are also used to produce products using leather, shells and oil.
Sadly, sea turtles and their eggs are regularly killed by humans across the globe. Construction and development along shorelines mean that hundreds of nesting sites are being lost. Light pollution is also a huge factor, as it affects nesting behaviours and leads them away from the sea, causing mass hatchling deaths. From chemical waste to plastic and petroleum by-products, sea turtles are struggling to survive in such polluted waters.
Overfishing also leads to a change in their potential to find food, as well as destroying their natural habitats. All too often, sea turtles are caught and strangled in nets. So why are numbers declining? The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has identified five of the most significant factors that threaten their existence. Sadly 6 out of those 7 are endangered, and 3 are on the critically endangered list. There are a total of 7 species of sea turtle in the world today. Loggerhead sea turtles are particularly well-travelled they regularly nest in Japan and migrate all the way to Baja California in Mexico in search of food. These incredible creatures migrate huge distances, so their habitat is spread across the world’s ocean waters. Sea turtles spend the vast majority of their lives in the ocean, coming ashore at certain times throughout the year to either bask or nest. In this blog post I’ll give you an overview of these amazing creatures and their conservation status, and provide a list of some of the best volunteering projects in sea turtle conservation from around the globe. If you’ve ever considered the idea of volunteering in marine conservation, or you’re curious about how you can help the world’s sea turtle population, then you’re in the right place. That’s why sea turtle conservation projects across the globe are looking for your help. Sea turtles are one of nature’s most beautiful and fascinating marine creatures, but sadly they face a huge threat from extinction as their numbers diminish around the world.
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