Endangered Sea Turtle Washes Up On Shore Attached To A Beach Chair

Jan 23, 2020 by apost team

The beach is a popular place to go to unwind. It is nice to feel the sand beneath your feet and to spend some time in the water. The view can be beautiful as well, and painters will often paint beach scenes because it looks so serene. However, this beautiful scene can be ruined.

Trash and litter that end up in the ocean are called "marine debris." This marine debris ends up washing ashore onto beaches, ruining the otherwise amazing view. It also hurts the animals that come into contact with marine debris.

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A Kemp's ridley sea turtle was one of the unfortunate animals that came across some marine debris, ending up washed up on a shore in Fort Morgan, Alabama, reports Gulf News. This endangered species got its neck entangled in a beach chair and died because of it. According to The National Geographic, the Kemp's ridley sea turtle is the most endangered turtle due to over-harvesting of their turtle eggs.

Female Kemp's ridley turtles aren't sexually mature until they are 10 to 12 years of age. The fact that the Kemp's ridley that died was a mature female is even more upsetting because she could have played a part in continuing the species. If everyone picked up their trash when they went to the beach, we could avoid the deaths of thousands or even millions of marine life.

Over a million marine animals die each year due to marine debris according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. We must do more to protect life on Earth. When you go to the beach, make sure your trash gets properly disposed of by throwing it in a trash can or taking it with you when you go. If you see anyone else littering, pick up their trash too. You could save so many lives!