Opossums, weasels, skunks and ferrets will all kill turtles if given the opportunity. In some instances, these animals bite at and chew any part that the turtle can not retract deeply enough into its shell.

Explanation: In a mutualistic relationship both organisms benefit from living closely together in a symbiotic relationship. We can for example observe this on cleaning stations. Different fish nibble on old skin and small creatures such as parasites living on the sea turtle.

A flock of gulls can devastate a nest of 100 hatchlings as they struggle through the sand and try to sprint into the water. Vultures along the beach will pick off baby turtles as soon as they scurry across the sand towards the water and frigate birds swoop baby sea turtles up from the land and water’s surface.

A new study suggests that ingesting even a single piece of plastic can be deadly for sea turtles. Researchers found there was a one in five chance of death for a turtle who consumed just one item – rising to 50% for 14 pieces.

“Olive ridleys feed on crustaceans, especially on the seabed,” Figgener says, so the turtle might have slurped up the straw along with its meal. They are sharp and injure the poor turtles’ noses. At first, the turtle wriggles and shakes as scientists poke and pull at the straw.

Straws are a particular hazard. Small and light, they can end up lodged in the nostrils of sea turtles and perforating the stomachs of penguins.” Whether still fully-formed or broken down into tiny fragments, the plastic straws polluting our oceans continue to endanger wildlife — and, by extension, the environment.

Straws are a completely frivolous and unnecessary one-time use of plastic. There are plenty of alternatives (waxed paper straws, metal straws, not using a straw). They are also small enough they easily get lost down drains or blown away, and so damage the environment. You do need a cup to contain a beverage.

Canada banning plastic bags, straws, cutlery and other single-use items by the end of 2021. Wide array of everyday items, grocery bags, straws, food packaging to be banned by the end of 2021. CTV’s Saron Fanel reports.

Plastic can be thought of as a magnet, and a toxic one, because it attracts other chemicals and bacteria in the ocean waters. Plastic straws contain polypropylene and Bisphenol A (BPA), which both leach dangerous chemicals. This means that the plastic straw that you drank from will outlive you by a lot.

It is highly durable, and one straw can eliminate the need for hundreds of plastic ones. Keeping them clean ensures convenient use for years to come. Toxic chemicals and fumes are released whenever plastics are manufactured. Many of these harmful by-products ultimately end up polluting the land, air, and water.

The Problem: Over 1 million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean (UNESCO Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution).