Visiting a Sea Turtle Sanctuary

Vestas 11th Hour Racing team members spend the day at a sea turtle sanctuary

While in Brazil, Vestas 11th Hour Racing team members visited a sea turtle sanctuary and rehabilitation center to learn about the impacts of plastic pollution on the iconic, yet endangered species.

They also learned that five different species of sea turtles inhabit the Brazilian coast, all of which are threatened with extinction. Plastic pollution has become a growing threat for sea turtles, at the center, one green turtle revealed it to have more than 3,000 pieces of plastic in its stomach.

“I would hate to think that in the future you could sail around the world and you wouldn’t see another turtle, whale, dolphin or any of the other amazing creatures that inhabit our oceans. The work that turtles sanctuaries do is something we all need to support.” – Stacey Jackson, Vestas 11th Hour Racing

“This species suffers a lot from plastic pollution, industrial fishing and, for me, visiting the turtle sanctuary is an important way of seeing and understanding how important it is to reduce our plastic consumption.” – Simon Fisher, Navigator, Vestas 11th Hour Racing

3 Tips to Protect Sea Turtles

• Say no to single-use plastic! Bags, bottles, coffee cups, and straws are the easiest to start with.
• #Take3fortheSea – every time you are near the water, pick up 3 pieces of trash.
• Eat Sustainable Seafood! Some ways of fishing are better for the protection of sea turtles than others, avoid seafood caught by longline gear or driftnets. Learn more at seafoodwatch.org