- SeaWorld indicates that most sea turtles live in reefs, bays and estuaries, as well as in shallow coastal areas. Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the water, but female turtles lay their eggs on land.
- Each species of turtle has different migratory habits, according to SeaWorld. Some species migrate short distances, while others travel thousands of miles. By using flipper tagging, researchers have determined that the leatherback turtle has the longest migration. These turtles have been found as far as 3,000 miles from their nesting grounds.
- There are seven known species of sea turtles in the world, according to the Starfish website:
The leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) is the world's largest sea turtle and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. They can be found in coastal areas worldwide.
Kemp's ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) live in the Gulf of Mexico.
The hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) is found in underwater reefs and rocky coastal locations around the world.
Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles are scattered around the world.
Green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles live in the bays and coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in the coastal areas of Argentina, the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean.
Australian back turtles (Natator depressus) live in the northern coastal areas and bays of Australia.
The most endangered variety of sea turtle is the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea). This species is found in the Pacific Ocean, as well as in the South Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. - According to Starfish, turtles mate at sea. When a female sea turtle is ready to lay her eggs, she will return to the same beach where she was hatched. She digs a hole with her back flippers and, after she has finished laying the eggs in the hole, she covers them with sand.
When the eggs hatch they immediately head for the ocean. The first few hours are a critical struggle for life for baby sea turtles. Their small size makes them vulnerable to animal predators. Birds wait for them to emerge from their sandy hole and pick them off as they head for the water, and sharks and large fish lurk under the ocean surface to devour the new arrivals. - Sea turtles are an endangered species. They are hunted for their meat and shells in some areas of the world. The See Turtles website indicates that turtles are often accidentally tangled in fishing nets. Pollution and coastal development also are major contributing factors to their decreasing numbers.
In 1977, the Endangered Species Act listed marine turtles as a protected species. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries office has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce the threats that are facing sea turtle populations.
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