June 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Celebrate Sea Turtle Week with NOAA Fisheries! Sea turtles have been swimming in Earth’s oceans for hundreds of millions of years. These marine reptiles lead incredible lives, surviving for many decades at sea. They travel thousands of miles in search of food, eventually returning to the beaches where they were born to nest.
They are a key part of marine ecosystems worldwide, but they face many threats today. Six sea turtle species are found in U.S. waters and all are threatened or endangered. The largest among them—the Pacific leatherback—is critically endangered. Of all the species NOAA Fisheries protects under the Endangered Species Act, we consider the Pacific leatherback to be one of the nine species most at risk of extinction in the near future.
Explore turtle features and videos below. Stay tuned all week to learn how we conserve and protect sea turtles and how you can help too.