World Turtle Day is celebrated every year on May 23. Where are the parades you ask? There aren’t any, which I think is an absolute shame. Could you imagine kids and fun-loving adults dressing up as pretty, glittery turtles? I can,
and what fun would that be?
World Turtle Day is to bring recognition to the American Tortoise Rescue organization. People can donate money towards this nonprofit company to help the many turtles who need our help. You can also volunteer for other organizations that promote turtle conservation and protection. World Turtle Day started in 1990, so the extinction of these beautiful sea creatures could be brought to light.
Almost 70% of the turtles that are alive today are on the endangered species list, including seven species of sea turtles (which include the Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Green, and Leatherback Sea Turtles, Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles, among others). It also provides land turtles such as the Radiated Tortoise, the Saw-jawed Terrapin, the Ploughshare Tortoise, the Philippine Pond Turtle, the Flattened Musk Turtle, the Yellow-headed Box Turtle, McCord’s Box Turtle, Indochinese Box Turtle, Yellow Mud Turtle, Western Chicken Turtle, and Blanding’s Turtle. I had no idea there were this many variations of turtles. Growing up in Florida, I remember the one type and stupidly thought, there were only a couple of species.
Did you know there are differences in a turtle, tortoise, and terrapins? Me either but here’s what they are.
11 Facts About Turtles
- The upper shell of a turtle is called a carapace
- The lower shell of a turtle is called a plastra
- Sea Turtles have special glands which remove salt from their drinking water
- Green Sea Turtles can hold their breath up to 5 hours
- The Leatherback Sea Turtle can weigh over 2,000 pounds
- Leatherback Sea Turtles can travel over 10,000 miles a year
- Not all turtle species can hide their heads in their shells
- Turtles live mainly in water
- Tortoises live primarily to land
- Terrapins live both on land and in water
- Most turtles are omnivores
How You Can Help the Turtles
The best way to celebrate World Turtle Day is to do something for turtles themselves. After all, 70% of all turtle species are facing extinction due to global warming and other human activities. So this is a good day to donate your money or time to your favorite turtle preservation or rescue organization. It’s also a good day to raise attention about the plight of turtles all over the world by using the hashtag #WorldTurtleDay on social media. I know some of my friends, and I have stopped using plastic straws and have purchased metal straws. It’s a small gesture, but even a small change is worth it to maintain our wildlife, marine life, and seas.
If you’re looking for a less-serious way to celebrate this holiday, then you can do all kinds of fun turtle-related activities. You can have a turtle-themed party with a turtle-shaped cake and games such as pin the tail on the turtle. You can also paint pictures of turtles, draw turtles, or hunt down cute turtle pictures on the Internet. It all depends on what fancies your taste.
Not only are these reptiles beautiful and elegant as they swim in their vast oceans, but they are also considered cold-blooded, which helps them adapt to any temperature they swim in.
Some of the earliest known turtles lived approximately 215 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest groups of reptiles – even older than crocodiles and snakes. Today, there are over 320 known species of turtles, and many of them endangered. Scientists classify turtles as amniotes, as they do mammals, reptiles, and birds. Like their fellow amniotes, turtles breathe air and do not lay their eggs underwater – although many different turtle species live very close to large bodies of water. The actual amount of turtles left is hard to speculate. Some males don’t come ashore, and without exact data, we cannot begin to guess how many are alive today.
What turtles eat depends mainly upon the environment in which they live. Many adult land turtles will eat plants, worms, and small insects. Some freshwater turtles eat fish and other aquatic creatures. Some sea turtles will often feed on soft-bodied marine animals such as sponges and jellyfish. Other sea turtles may live off shellfish or algae — not a wrong menu, I must say.
Here at Hawaiian Healing Skin Care, we are donating a portion of every item you buy and giving to the Wild Hawaiian Wildlife Fund. We love helping to conserve our oceans and giving back to the amazing islands that make up Hawaii.
Won’t you help us help them? I promise, when you use our all-natural and organic products, not only will your skin thank you, but so will the turtles. Our mission is to help the environment, which is why we only use all-natural and organic ingredients to make our nourishing skincare line.
Hawaiian Healing Skin Care Products are FILLED with the finest natural and organic ingredients. Our glass and bamboo packaging help to support sustainability and are eco-friendly. By having some of the most luxurious ingredients sourced directly from the islands of Hawai’i and all over the globe, Hawaiian Healing Skin Care is able to provide your skin with the best all-natural and organic skincare products available.
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