In pictures: Turtally devoted to you: Happy World Turtle Day

Posted by Angela Glienicke — 23 May 2014 at 12:10am - Comments
All rights reserved. Credit: © Greenpeace / Daniel M Ocampo
A Hawksbill turtle on Apo Island, internationally acknowledged as a model community managed marine reserve.

Today is World Turtle Day, a great opportunity to celebrate some of the world’s oldest creatures as well as draw attention to the sea turtles' plight. Terrific turtles have been swimming the world's oceans for more than 100 million years, but now face many dangers as they travel the seas.

When I look at Alex Hofford's powerful picture of a loggerhead turtle swimming around a purse seiner's fish aggreation device and Sumer Verma's photo of a trapped turtle in a fishnet I'm once again reminded why we need to campaign for marine reserves and protect these gentle animals from unsustainable fishing methods.

<--break->So join me in sending an SOS to the world's leaders to support ocean sanctuaries and protect all marine life. Let's ensure these awsome animals continue to roam our seas!

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/getinvolved/SOS-Oceans/

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An Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) swims in the open blue ocean of the Pacific. © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

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In Elphinstone reef, "Cleaner" fish known as remora hitch a ride with turtles by means of suction cups on top of their heads. © Greenpeace / Marco Care

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A Hawksbill turtle swims over a coral garden, Kanawa Island, Flores, Indonesia. © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

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An activist frees an endangered Olive Ridley turtle from a hook of the controversial Taiwanese longliner Ho Tsai Fa 18. © Greenpeace / Paul Hilton

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A Loggerhead turtle swimming around a fish aggregation device belonging to the Ecuadorean purse seiner 'Ingalapagos', which was documented by Greenpeace in the vicinity of the northern Galapagos Islands. © Alex Hofford / Greenpeace

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A turtle is trapped in a fish net, just off the Rushikulya mass nesting beaches. Over 10,000 turtles are killed by fishing gear every year in Orissa's coastal waters. © Sumer Verma / Greenpeace

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Close-up of turtles (Quelonia midas). One is an albino. © Greenpeace / Daniel Beltra

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A Green turtle laying her eggs on Heron Island. © Dean Sewell / Greenpeace

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A Hawksbill Turtles in Elphinstone Reef, near Marsa Alam.  Elphinston Reef is a spectacular reef and one of the most beautiful sites in the region. © Greenpeace / Marco Care

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An Olive Ridley turtle is pictured in a holding net at a fish farm outside Sanya in Hainan Island. © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

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A Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) feeds on sea grass,   The Maldives is one of the countries most seriously threatened by the effects of climate change like sea level rise and erosion. © Greenpeace / Paul Hilton

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A Leatherback turtle hatchling. French Guiana,© Greenpeace / Jacques Fretey

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