Sea Turtles

What are they and where do they live | Florida is an important nest area | Adapting to life at sea | The females nesting process | Hatching and maturing | Decline in population | Dangers for hatchlings

What are they and where do they live

Sea turtles are large air-breathing reptiles remarkably adapted to life in the sea. They live in all but the coldest of the world's oceans, but nest only in tropical and subtropical beaches where it is warm enough to incubate their eggs.

All sea turtles are protected by federal and state laws.

This topic explains what you can do to protect sea turtles and provides some facts that let you know how you can help.

Florida is an important nest area

Of the 8 species of sea turtles worldwide, 5 are found in Florida. Sea turtles deposit from 40,000 to 70,000 nests in Florida annually, making this the most important nesting area in the U.S. Sea turtles most commonly seen in Florida are loggerheads, greens and leatherbacks.

Adapting to life at sea

General characteristics

Sea turtles have a low streamline shell and powerful, oversized front limbs-adaptations that enable them to swim for great distances. They have no teeth but use their jaws to crush and tear food.

Size and weight

The smallest sea turtle, the Ridley, weighs 75-100 pounds when mature, while adults of the largest species, the leatherback, can weigh almost 1,300 pounds and may be 8 feet in length.

The females nesting process

Sea turtles spend most of their day feeding or sleeping under reef ledges or in the open ocean. Some travel hundreds or thousands of miles to feed or nest. Females lay their eggs on sandy beaches and are slow and awkward on land. A female will usually lay several nests during 1 season and may nest every 2 to 3 years. The difficult process of nesting takes up to 3 hours. A turtle must drag her great weight ashore, dig a nest with her back flippers, deposit about 100 eggs, and cover and conceal the nest before returning to the sea. The eggs must incubate in the warm sand and the female never visits her nest again.

Hatching and maturing

After incubating for about 2 months, the 2-inch long turtles hatch, erupt as a group from their nest in the cool of the night, and scurry down the beach to the sea. Many hatchlings swim offshore to live for several years in floating seaweed drifting along the edges of the ocean currents. Eventually, the young turtles take up residence in coastal waters.

Many years pass before the few hatchlings that survive reach maturity. A sea turtle may live for 40 to 60 years or more.

Decline in population

Population of the past

Sea turtles once roamed the oceans by the millions, but over the past few centuries the demand for sea turtle meat, eggs, shell, leather and oil has greatly reduced their numbers.

Why population is declining

Populations continue to decline as habitat is lost and the trade in sea turtle products continues. Every year, thousands of sea turtles drown in shrimp trawls and other fishing gear and others die from pollutants or from swallowing trash mistaken for food.

Dangers for hatchlings

Many hatchling sea turtles are disoriented by lights near beaches and wander away from the ocean to be crushed by cars or stranded. Concern for the plight of sea turtles is growing and people around the world are working to protect them on nesting beaches and at sea. The effects of mixing sea turtles and lights can be hazardous.