Fun Facts
You can track the movement of some turtles on this website! These turtles have satellite transmitters glued to their shells.
Fish set up "cleaning stations" that sea turtles can visit. The fish eat parasites and algae that grow on the turtles. Sometimes shrimp get in on the eating action too.
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| There's nothing like the feeling of fish lips on your shell. |
There are seven species of sea turtles distributed throughout the world. Click for a cool infographic!
The Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) got its name from the green color of its fat. The turtle's diet of seagrass is what makes its fat green.
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| Green sea turtle out for a peaceful swim |
The Flatback (Natator depressus) lives exclusively off the coast of Austrailia. (Most sea turtles are distributed throughout tropical waters around the world.)
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| Look at that lovely sheila! |
The Loggerhead (caretta caretta) was named for its large head. It uses its strong jaws to crush the shells of crustaceans -- including the thick conch shell!
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| Loggerhead turtle with algae growing on its shell. Sea turtles provide a habitat for algae. |
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| The sluglike conch emerges from its beautiful shell. Like many people in Key West, Loggerheads enjoy eating conch. |
The Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of the sea turtles. It migrates up to 10,000 miles every year across the Pacific ocean.
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| A scientists watches over a leatherback as she lays her eggs |
The Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) has a unique and beautiful shell. This is where the "tortoiseshell" pattern gets its name. P.S.: Don't buy souvenirs with a tortoiseshell pattern... they might be made from a dead hawksbill.
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| Hawksbill turtle basking in the sun |
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| Items made from a hawksbill turtle shell |
The Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtle is the smallest species of sea turtle. When the females are done laying their eggs, they tamp down the sand over the nest in what looks like a little dance. Here's a fun video of the 'ridley dance'!
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| The Kemp's Ridley's shell is not as flashy as those of its relatives, but it's still beautiful because it is a sea turtle. |
The Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) gets its name from its olive-colored shell. Actually, the hatchlings' shells are gray, turning to an olive green color as the turtle matures.
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| An Olive Ridley turtle chilling in its aquarium habitat |
Both species of Ridley sea turtle have a peculiar nesting habit. Instead of nesting individually, as do the females of the other species, hundreds or even thousands of Ridley turtles come ashore to lay their eggs all at once. This mass nesting is called an arribada.
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| Arribada in Costa Rica |
Only 1 in 1,000 sea turtles survive to adulthood.
The most dangerous part of a sea turtle's life is just after it hatches, on its journey from the nest to the open ocean. At this time the sea turtle is vulnerable to many predators.
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| Crabs love to eat hatchlings. |
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