Hawksbill sea turtle swimming near Akajima, Okinawa, Japan

© Robert Mallon/Getty Image

Shell-ebrating sea turtles. World Sea Turtle Day

Happy World Sea Turtle Day! Today people around the world gather to clean beaches and help animals like this hawksbill sea turtle thrive. The largest populations of hawksbill sea turtles are found in the Caribbean, Indian, and Indo-Pacific Oceans but you'll find sea turtles in every ocean, except the Arctic and Antarctic.

But these ancient creatures' existence is under threat, with six of the seven recognised species on the cusp of extinction. Climate change, poaching, coastal development and pollution are among threats, along with plastic waste, which can be mistaken for food. From abandoned fishing nets and microplastics to disposable bottles left on hatching grounds, plastics play a prominent part in turtles' present plight. Reducing our plastic waste is one way we can help these magnificent creatures survive.