Fascinating Sea Turtle Facts
- There are only seven distinct species of sea turtles.
- Sea turtles return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs.
- One of the biggest dangers to sea turtles is fishing nets.
- Green sea turtles can stay underwater for four to five hours before surfacing for air.
- The leatherback turtle can weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
- Scientists have tagged thousands of sea turtles to track their movements.
- It is estimated that only one out of 1,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood.
- Sea turtles don’t have a favorite food.
- Some sea turtles migrate very long distances while others stay close to home.
- They cannot retract into their shells like other turtles.
- Temperature of the nest dictates the sex of baby turtles.
- They can hold their breath for up to five hours underwater.
- Sea turtles can live for about 100 years.
- They have an excellent sense of direction, allowing them to navigate across oceans.
- Sea turtles are ancient species, existing since the time of the dinosaurs — about 110 million years ago.
- An adult hawksbill sea turtle eats an average of 1,200 pounds of sponges annually.
- The leatherback’s flexible shell allows it to dive deep to feed on jellyfish and salps.
- Loggerhead sea turtles, named for their large heads, have powerful jaws to crack hard-shelled prey like whelks and conchs.
- The green sea turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle, growing from a two-inch hatchling to 3 feet long and 300–350 lbs.
