LET'S BALANCE THE TURTLE SCALE! Out of every 1,000, only 1 survives! Read the description...
802Sea turtles lay hundreds of eggs per clutch (an average of 80 to 150), but most of the hatchlings don't survive.
πΉ Biologists' estimates:
β’ Of every 1,000 hatchlings, only 1 to 2 make it to adulthood.
β’ This happens because, from the moment they leave the nest, they face many predators (birds, crabs, fish, sharks), as well as human threats (plastic trash, fishing nets, habitat destruction).
In other words: nature produces so many eggs precisely because only a minority have a chance of surviving to become adults.
Human interference is currently the leading cause of death for sea turtlesβfar more than natural predators. The biggest impacts are:
ποΈ Trash in the sea
β’ Plastics: Bags and packaging look like jellyfish (one of the turtles' food sources). When swallowed, the plastic clogs their stomachs or causes fatal perforations. β’ Microplastics: Even small fragments can accumulate in the body, harming health.
β’ Discarded nets and lines: Turtles become trapped, unable to come up for air, and eventually drown.
π£ Trawling and Bycatch Fishing
β’ In trawling, large nets pull everything from the seabed, and many turtles end up accidentally caught.
β’ In gillnets and longline hooks, they become entangled or trapped and drown.
β’ It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of turtles die every year from bycatch.
π¨ Other Human Impacts
β’ Destruction of nesting beaches: Artificial lighting, uncontrolled tourism, and construction interfere with reproduction.
β’ Hunting and consumption of eggs and meat, which still occur in some regions.
β‘οΈ Result: Although all seven species of sea turtles once existed in great abundance, today they are all threatened with extinction, some in critical condition.