In Turtle Journey, the new ad from Greenpeace featuring an endangered family of turtles, the Wallace and Gromit animators at Aardman give us a soft sell view of the sorry state of our oceans and their inhabitants. 

THE AD

“It started like any other trip home” says a rubber mouthed father turtle to camera as the turtle family’s mollusc shell glides over a cutely colourful Aardman style ocean floor while the turtle kids play I-spy.

It’s just the kind of neighbourhood you’d love to live in were you an Aardman turtle made from green clay – apart, that is, from the ominous presence of huge drills burrowing into the ocean floor amidst surges of black oil.

“Home safe” says father turtle, still blissfully unaware of impending doom as they near their ‘house’, and mum turtle flippers off to their front door to put the kettle on. At which point all hell breaks loose and their ocean idyll is shattered by a cataclysmic intrusion of bright lights and human self-interest. 

Voiced by some top talent including Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Olivia Coleman, Turtle Journey underlines the plight of the migrating turtles in their threatened environment. But this is really the plight of us all.

THE MESSAGE

Said Louisa Casson, Greenpeace UK’s oceans campaigner, “Our oceans are in crisis, with six out of seven turtle species are threatened with extinction. Not only is the ocean home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife, it also plays an important role in slowing climate change. 

“To avoid the worst effects of climate change and safeguard wildlife, we need to make at least 30% of our oceans off-limits by 2030. It means creating a global network of ocean sanctuaries, stretching beyond areas of national jurisdiction and bringing an end to the unsustainable plunder of the global oceans by industrial fishing, mining and drilling.”

The Greenpeace website further tells us that from plastic pollution to oil spills, the threats facing turtles and other sea creatures are getting worse every day. But now we have a chance to turn things around. This year governments have a historic opportunity to protect our oceans from greedy industries, like fishing and mining. But it won’t happen unless we pile on the pressure and tell the UK government to help protect our oceans.

THE IMPACT

Greenpeace’s tale has helped to highlight the plight of migrating turtles in a tale suitable for all ages, ensuring the message isn’t lost on younger generations. 

While we should all join Greenpeace in their fight against the harm we’re doing to the turtles, let’s remember that it’s just a small part of the harm we’re doing to all life on the planet, including ourselves. 

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