A fun fact about sea turtles is that in a single nesting season, females lay between two and six clutches of eggs, each containing 65 to 180 eggs.
Sea turtles have navigated the Earth’s oceans for the last 110 million years. Like coral reefs and sea grass beds, sea turtles They are an important link of marine ecosystems.
Some of them eat large amounts of jellyfish and represent a source of income for local communities through ecotourism activities. But sea turtle populations are declining. Every year, thousands of them are accidentally caught by fishing gear. Also, the beaches they depend on for nesting are disappearing.
The portal www.worldwildlife.org works with local communities to reduce the collection of eggs and protect nesting beaches, encouraging fishermen to change their fishing gear to ones that are more friendly to turtles. Next, a compilation of its most interesting data.
Interesting Sea Turtle Facts
© naturepl.com / Doug Perrine / WWF
How long do sea turtles live?
The actual record of the age of any species of sea turtle is difficult to determine. What we do know is that sea turtles live a long time (some they can live up to 50 years or more) and have human-like lives. Most sea turtles take decades to mature (between 20 and 30 years) and they remain actively reproductive for another 10 years.
© naturepl.com / Jordi Chias / WWF
Why are sea turtles in danger?
Of the seven species of sea turtles, almost all are classified as endangered, and that is mainly due to human activities. The accidental capture in fishing gear, which often results in death, is the greatest threat for most sea turtles. They are also killed for their eggs, meat, skin, and shell, and are victims of poaching and overexploitation.
Besides, climate change affects the nesting beaches of sea turtles as well as eggs. WWF is helping to develop alternative livelihoods so that local populations are no longer dependent on turtle-related products for income and to support local patrol activities on nesting beaches.
© naturepl.com / Solvin Zankl / WWF
Where do sea turtles live?
Sea turtles can be found all over the world, from the cold waters of California to the warm beaches of the Coral Triangle. The males never leave the ocean., while the females arrive at the sandy beaches to lay their eggs during the nesting season. WWF tracks sea turtles to learn more about their movement and navigation routes, including feeding and breeding grounds and other areas of the ocean.
© naturepl.com / Alex Hyde / WWF-Canon
What do sea turtles eat?
Depending on the species, sea turtles like to eat algae, jellyfish, squid, barnacles, sponges, and sea anemones, among other creatures. However green turtles, which are herbivorous, feed mainly on seagrass and algae.
© Jürgen Freund / WWF
How far do sea turtles travel during their lives?
Sea turtles migrate thousands of miles throughout their lives across ocean basins and high seas. For example, a leatherback turtle traveled more than 12,000 miles (19,300 km) round trip across the Pacific Ocean, from Papua in Indonesia to the northwest coast of the United States. Both males and females migrate long distances between feeding grounds and nesting beaches.
© Roger Leguen / WWF
© Roger Leguen / WWF
How many eggs do sea turtles lay at a time?
In a single nesting season, females lay between two and six clutches of eggs, each with 65 to 180 eggs. Egg clutches are laid approximately every two weeks, and the period between nesting seasons for females ranges from one to nine years.
Temperature determines the sex of the turtle: warmer nests produce female hatchlings and cooler nests produce males. WWF is studying how sea turtles are affected by climate change, which may result in fewer male hatchlings, to determine the best ways to reduce sea turtle vulnerability to an ever-changing environment.
© Jürgen Freund / WWF
Do all sea turtles have hard shells?
Six of the seven species of sea turtles they have hard shells but the leatherback turtle is the exception. Its shell is more flexible and leather-like. The leatherback turtle is also the largest species of sea turtle and can weigh up to 1,500 pounds (680 kg) and measure 63 inches (160 cm).
With information from www.worldwildlife.org
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