Tragic Photos Of Sea Turtle Stuck In Beach Chair Are A Reminder To Pick Up Your Stuff

A sea turtle conservation group shared a shocking photo on Saturday in an effort to remind beachgoers of the importance of not leaving trash or belongings behind.

Warning: This story contains photos that some readers may find disturbing.

The image shows a dead Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, a critically endangered species, with part of a beach chair stuck around its neck. It was posted by Fort Morgan Share the Beach, a local chapter of the Alabama sea turtle protection nonprofit Share the Beach.

“There was a heavy string around the chair that wrapped around the turtle’s neck,” Fort Morgan Share the Beach spokeswoman Debbie Harbin told HuffPost in a Facebook message.

“This makes me so mad,” read the group’s Facebook post. “How many hundreds of times do we have to ask people to pick their stuff up? It should just be common decency. I think I am going to print this out and carry it with me next time I have to ask.”

The group added in a comment on the photo that the chair, which had barnacles on it, had apparently washed out to sea, where the group believes the sea turtle became entangled in it.

Harbin also shared a second, more graphic image of the turtle with HuffPost.

(Photo: Fort Morgan Share The Beach)
(Photo: Fort Morgan Share The Beach)

Both photos were taken at a beach Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge on the Fort Morgan Peninsula, according to local news station WKRG,

“So much stuff left on the beach washes into the gulf,” Harbin told the station.

Wildlife experts have long warned about the danger that abandoned beach chairs can pose to sea turtles. Chairs that wash out to sea can fatally entangle turtles, and even chairs that remain on the sand overnight can become major obstacles to nesting turtles and hatchlings.

This post has been updated with a comment from Debbie Harbin and another photo.

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All images creative commons non commercial. www.ashmolephotography.com
All images creative commons non commercial. www.ashmolephotography.com
Green sea turtle checking out what is going on
Green sea turtle checking out what is going on
Stealth approach, controlled breathing and choosing the right moment!
Stealth approach, controlled breathing and choosing the right moment!
Photo by: A. Shamandour  The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle, or Pacific green turtle, is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.The common name comes from the usually green fat found beneath its carapace.  This sea turtle's dorsoventrally flattened body is covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace; it has a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. It is usually lightly colored, although in the eastern Pacific populations parts of the carapace can be almost black. Unlike other members of its family, such as the hawksbill sea turtle, C. mydas is mostly herbivorous. The adults usually inhabit shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrasses.[6]  Like other sea turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Many islands worldwide are known as Turtle Island due to green sea turtles nesting on their beaches. Females crawl out on beaches, dig nests and lay eggs during the night. Later, hatchlings emerge and scramble into the water. Those that reach maturity may live to eighty years in the wild.  C. mydas is listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES and is protected from exploitation in most countries. It is illegal to collect, harm or kill them. In addition, many countries have laws and ordinances to protect nesting areas. However, turtles are still in danger due to human activity. In some countries, turtles and their eggs are hunted for food. Pollution indirectly harms turtles at both population and individual scales. Many turtles die caught in fishing nets. Also, real estate development often causes habitat loss by eliminating nesting beaches.
All images creative commons non commercial. www.ashmolephotography.com
All images creative commons non commercial. www.ashmolephotography.com
Tortue de mer - Barrière de corail - Australie - 2013
Tortue de mer - Barrière de corail - Australie - 2013
Ocean turtle and shark in Vienna "Haus des Meeres"
Ocean turtle and shark in Vienna "Haus des Meeres"
Young sea turtle at the turtle farm.
Young sea turtle at the turtle farm.
This turtle kept swimming next to us for over 15 min.
This turtle kept swimming next to us for over 15 min.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.