In the U.S. alone, 500 million straws are used each day. That’s enough straws to fill 125 school buses! The “Skip the Straw, Save a Turtle” campaign has been on the rise in 2019 due to the problem of straws in the ocean. Most of the straws that are used are too small to be recycled because they end up going through the cracks of the conveyor belt at the recycling center. That’s where the “Skip the Straw, Save a Turtle” campaign comes in. Instead of taking a chance on straws ending up in the ocean, it’s better for people to just avoid them in general. This campaign includes saying “no” to the straws in your drinks at restaurants or choosing not to use them at fast food places.

When straws end up in the ocean, they interfere with the health of marine life. Many animals end up consuming straws and suffocating, especially sea turtles. Here are 10 facts about sea turtles to get you to skip the straw and save a sea turtle!

Turtles tend to be pretty old
Turtles are already one of the oldest and most primitive reptiles, and most of them can live to be up to 150 years old depending on the size and species of the turtle.

2) Sea turtles like to stay warm
Sea turtles are almost always found in tropical areas of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. They also stay around the Gulf of Mexico.

3) Sea turtles don’t retract into their shells like other turtles
Since sea turtles are pretty big sea creatures, they don’t have much to protect themselves from. Unlike other species of turtles that have to go back into their shells when they are faced with a predator, sea turtles can’t because of the way their anatomy – and they don’t have to.

4) Temperature determines the turtle’s gender
After the egg is laid for the baby turtle to hatch, the temperature decides whether the turtle will be a boy or a girl. If the temperature around the egg is lower than around 81 degrees Fahrenheit, then the turtle will be a male, if it above that temperature, it will be a female.

5) There are 7 species of sea turtles
There are only 7 species of sea turtles. Leatherback turtles are the biggest species, while the Kemp’s Ridley turtle is on the smaller end of the spectrum. Leatherbacks can weigh up to 1500 pounds, while the Kemp’s Ridley turtles barely make it to 100 pounds.

6) Sea turtles can hold their breath for up to 5 hours under water
Just because they have sea in their names doesn’t mean they can live under the sea like a fish. Sea turtles need to come above the surface sometimes for air but they can hold their breath for up 5 hours underwater.

Sea turtles aren’t the only sea creatures that we should be protecting. By skipping the straw you will have a huge impact on all sea life especially on the condition of the ocean overall. Keep our waters plastic free!

Sources: https://www.ecowatch.com/9-super-cool-facts-about-sea-turtles-1891175453.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/fun-facts-about-sea-turtles-2291407
https://www.natgeokids.com/za/discover/animals/sea-life/turtle-facts/