Loggerhead Turtle
Caretta Caretta
Location
This is a sea turtle so it lives in the ocean but lays eggs on sandy beaches. These turtles can be found in the coastal tropical and subtropical waters in the Atlantic Ocean. They are the most populous along the barrier island and the North Carolina and the keys of Florida. In North Carolina they are found along the coast but mostly around the outer banks.
Why Are They Endangered
These beautiful turtles are endangered of becoming extinct for, sadly, many reasons. One reason is that they get caught in long-lines and gillnets while fishermen are commercial fishing. Since loggerhead turtles lay their eggs on the beach where people go sometimes they get destroyed before the eggs hatch. Also if the eggs do hatch sometimes they have trouble getting to the ocean. They might walk the wrong way or get eaten by bird. This causes the population to get smaller.
What Is Being Done To Help
Many organization are taking the step to helping the turtles. Laws like CMS and CITES are being placed for the nation. These are to protect them and their nests. Also the NMFS and USFWS are working with commercial fishing groups. They are trying to find ways to prevent them from killing the sea turtles.