Sea Turtle Location: Beach Park at Isla Blanca

The eleven-foot-tall sea turtle depicts the beauty of living on the island, complete with sea life, palm trees, and, of course, a set of islands.

DID YOU KNOW THESE COMMON THREATS TO SEA TURTLES?

Sea turtles face many threats in their environment. By learning about and addressing these threats, humans can help sea turtle populations recover and help restore their environment.

• Marine Debris: Plastic bags, balloons, and other forms of trash can be mistaken for food and cause starvation, intestinal damage, or even death.

• Entanglement: Improperly discarded or lost fishing gear is particularly dangerous and a common source of entanglement.

• Boat Strikes: Boat and ship traffic can impact individuals by striking them while they surface to breathe, causing significant or lethal damage.

• Climate Change: Warming temperatures affect sea turtle habitats, food sources, and sex ratios in incubating nests. Rising seas can alter coastlines and destroy nesting beaches.

• By-catch: Incidental capture in fishing gear is a huge threat to many species throughout the world. Fisheries catch sea turtles and other species accidentally. When discovered, they are usually discarded as trash, already dead.

• Poaching: Sea turtles are harvested to make products such as jewelry, guitar picks, boots, and other products.

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