Sea Turtles: Ancient Ocean Travelers

Sea turtles are among the most ancient animals on Earth, having roamed our oceans for over 100 million years — they watched the dinosaurs come and go. Today, all 7 species of sea turtle are threatened or endangered. These remarkable reptiles are worth knowing and protecting.

Are Sea Turtles Reptiles or Mammals?

Sea turtles are reptiles. They are cold-blooded, breathe air (surfacing every few minutes to breathe), and lay eggs on beaches. Unlike mammals, they do not nurse young with milk or have fur or hair.

How Do Sea Turtles Navigate?

Sea turtles have an extraordinary ability to sense Earth's magnetic field, using it like a GPS to navigate thousands of miles across open ocean. Females return to the exact beach where they were born to lay their own eggs — sometimes traveling over 10,000 miles to do so.

How Long Do Sea Turtles Live?

Sea turtles can live 80–100 years or more. They take 20–30 years to reach sexual maturity. In their lifetime, a female may nest dozens of times, laying around 100 eggs per nest. Sadly, only about 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood.

What Do Sea Turtles Eat?

It depends on the species. Green turtles eat seagrass. Leatherbacks eat jellyfish. Hawksbills eat sponges. Loggerheads crush crabs and shellfish. By eating jellyfish and sponges, sea turtles help keep marine ecosystems balanced.

Why Are Sea Turtles Endangered?

The main threats are plastic pollution (turtles eat plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish), fishing nets (bycatch drowning), coastal development destroying nesting beaches, climate change (warming sands affect egg sex ratios), and illegal hunting for shells and meat.

Amazing Sea Turtle Facts

• The leatherback is the largest turtle, reaching up to 7 feet and 2,000 lbs.
• Temperature determines the sex of sea turtle eggs — warmer sand produces more females.
• Baby turtles find the ocean at night by following the natural light of the horizon — artificial lights confuse them.
• Sea turtles can hold their breath for up to 7 hours while resting.