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Sea turtle nesting in the U.S. is still a couple months away, but I just couldn’t wait to write something about my new RBFF (reptilian best friend forever) – the sea turtle.
How did we get so close?
It was actually on a trip to the Mexican Riviera last May with Oceana and my good friend Rachael Harris. There, Oceana took us to swim with sea turtles in the wild and visit injured turtles at Mexico’s only sea turtle hospital – it was a wonderful, moving experience.
We went to Akumal Bay to snorkel with green sea turtles (and one slightly scary barracuda) and I was struck by how lucky I felt to be able to see them in the wild, eating sea grass and going about their day. Later we visited the sea turtle hospital and saw turtles injured by fishing gear and boat propellers. I knew immediately that I wanted to be an advocate for sea turtles.
I grew up overseas and had seen sea turtles before, but swimming with them up close and personal changed my perspective in a powerful way. I’m overwhelmed by how much humans are affecting marine life and in the case of sea turtles, which are very susceptible to impacts from climate change too, I worry that my daughter won’t be able to see them and have the same experience swimming with them that I did. Playing at the beach and in the ocean was such big part of my childhood and I hope it can be for her too.
So while I’m just one person, I know I have to do my part to help, which means using my reusable grocery bags, riding my bike when no freeways are involved, and always looking for new ways to reduce my carbon footprint.
Before my trip with Oceana, I wasn’t aware of the many problems facing sea turtles, and now that I am, I signed up with Oceana to help spread the word about the need to protect sea turtles via the Turtles Off the Hook PSA campaign.
Please watch the PSA, learn more about the problems facing sea turtles and do your part to protect (what I think is) the most adorable, sweetest reptile on Earth.
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