Sea Turtle Facts

From leatherbacks to loggerheads, six of the seven species of sea turtles that swim the world’s oceans are threatened or endangered largely at the hand of humans. Sadly, they face many dangers as they travel the seas — including accidental capture and entanglement in fishing gear (also known as bycatch), the loss of nesting and feeding sites to coastal development, intentional hunting (poaching), and pollution.

These creatures are well-adapted to their ocean environment though they require air to survive. Their size varies greatly, depending upon species — from the small Kemp’s ridley, which weighs between 80–100 pounds, to the enormous leatherback, which can weighs more than 1,000 pounds.

Habitat & Diet

Sea turtles live in almost every ocean basin throughout the world, nesting in tropical and subtropical waters. They can travel long distances to feed, and they often swim entire oceans to do so. Some loggerheads nest in Japan and migrate to Baja California Sur, Mexico to forage before returning home again (read about Adelita, the first turtle tracked across the Pacific). Leatherbacks are capable of withstanding the coldest water temperatures (often below 40˚F) and are found as far south as Chile and as far north as Alaska.

They spend their entire lives at sea, except when adult females come ashore to lay eggs several times per season every 2 to 5 years. After about sixty days, baby sea turtles (known as "hatchlings") emerge from their sandy nests and make their way to the ocean —attracted to the distant horizon. The juvenile turtles spend their first few years in the open oceans, eventually moving to protected bays, estuaries, and other nearshore waters.

Each species relies on a different diet: greens eat sea grasses; leatherbacks feed on jellyfish and soft-bodied animals; loggerheads eat heavy-shelled animals such as crabs and clams; hawksbills rely on sponges and other invertebrates; and the Kemp’s ridley prefers crabs.  Learn more about their diets.

Human Threats

These ancient creatures have been on Earth for more than 100 million years — even surviving the dinosaurs when they became extinct 65 million years ago. Among the threats these marine reptiles face are entanglement, habitat loss, and consumption of their eggs and meat.

Sea turtles often drown when caught in fishing gear, both nets and longlines. Coastal development destroys important nesting sites — and artificial light from houses and other buildings attracts hatchlings away from the ocean. Pollution like plastic bags are often mistaken for food, such as jellyfish, and ingested, blocking their intestines and potentially killing them. In some countries, they are hunted for their meat and shells and their eggs are eaten.

Sea Turtle Identification

For a guide to identifying sea turtles, check out seaturtle.org's Sea Turtle Identification Key.

What is SEE Turtles?

We're a non-profit project that connects travelers and volunteers with sea turtle conservation projects in places that most need the support.  Visit our homepage to learn how you can participate.