![]() It takes 20-30 years for a sea turtle to reach sexual maturity.It grows from a two-inch hatchling weighing one-half pound to an adult size of 3 feet long and 300-350 lbs. The green is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle.Its shell (carapace) is strong and flexible, like leather - thus the name. The leatherback is the largest sea turtle species, weighing up to 2,000 pounds and measuring from 6-9 feet long.The flatback turtle is found only in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are the green, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, leatherback, loggerhead, and olive ridley. waters are protected by the Endangered Species Act. All six sea turtle species found in U.S.CRC Press,2002.Sea turtles are ancient species, having been around since the time of the dinosaurs - about 110 million years. The Olive Ridley sea turtles travel along the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, while for the Loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta) there is not known how many miles they travel, but are thought to be thousands.Ĭ/information-sea-turtles-green-sea-turtle/ Some specimens show long migrations during breeding seasons, others travel short distances, and some do not migrate at all.įlatback sea turtles ( Natator depressus) make trips within the Australian coasts, covering up to 1,300 km. In the case of hawksbill sea turtles, they have various migratory patterns. ![]() The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys kempii) cover two main routes within the region of the Gulf of Mexico: one to the north, towards the Mississippi area, and the other to the south of Mexico reaching the Yucatan Peninsula, in the Bank of Campeche. Green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas) travel approximately 2,100 km across the Pacific Ocean to reach the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. The leatherback sea turtle performs the longest migration, traveling around 6,000 km every year. It crosses the Pacific Ocean from Asia to the west coast of the United States to get more food. The Leatherback sea turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea) is the species with the longest migrations, traveling around 6,000 km each year. Trips are hundreds but sometimes thousands of miles long, depending on the species and the success of their quest. Sea turtles migrate for two reasons, searching for food or reproduction. ![]() The coral reefs, which add color and beauty to the seabed, also provide habitat for more than 530 marine organisms, including sea turtles.Ĭoastal development, human disturbance, ocean pollution and artificial lighting are increasingly severe problems for chelonians, as their spaces keep reducing every day. The high diversity of aquatic plants and wildlife complement the environment of the turtles that live there. Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Red Sea.īeaches are paramount for these reptiles since the females come to the shore to deposit their eggs into the nests.Įstuaries, brackish areas where water from the ocean mixes with fresh water from the rivers, mangroves, and seagrass with tall vegetation are also part of their habitat. They live peacefully with other living creatures of the marine fauna, and some stay close to the coral reefs or rocky areas. The adults stay in shallow water and near the coasts, but sometimes they enter the open sea. The Gulf of Alaska, Argentina, South Africa, California (USA), Tasmania and India are just some of the places where it lives. Leatherback sea turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea) – It has an extensive distribution around the world. Hawksbill sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata) – Indo-Pacific Regions, Africa, Brazil, Australia.įlatback sea turtle ( Natator depressus) – Australian coasts as well as southern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Olive Ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys olivacea) – Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and India. Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys kempii) – the Gulf of Mexico, South of the United States and some specimens in Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. Loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta) – coastal bays and streams of all continents, except Antarctica. Green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas) – the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Mediterranean Sea, African coasts, Northern Australia, Argentine, Pacific Ocean. Hawksbill Turtle and Scuba Divers in the Red Sea.
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