Information and Facts
about Sea Turtles

Introduction to Sea Turtles

They live all over the world with some preferring the tropical waters and others prefer to be where it is cooler. They are found in oceans, lagoons, and bays where they generally stick very close to the shore line. Some of the larger sea turtles though are great divers and they will venture out to the open sea in search of food.

While most types of sea turtles migrate, not al of them do. Those that do take part in it for breeding and to find food can travel hundreds or thousands of miles to reach their destination. Most of them will return to the place of their own birth for such activities to take place. The mating takes place in the water so there remains plenty we don’t know about it. All sea turtles lay eggs and will dig for nests to deposit them on land.  They can offer hundreds of eggs at a time.

There are two distinct types of sea turtle families out there. The first is known as Cheloniidae. These sea turtles feature horny plates that cover their shells. The other is known as Dermochelyidae and they are covered with skin that feels like leather. It is often hard to tell the males and females apart when it comes to sea turtles as they are very close in size both for weight and for length.

Sea turtles will spend almost all of their time in the water. Their bodies are designed to make movement in the water very simple. When the females have to go to land to nest their eggs, it can be very slow and very awkward for them. Their bodies aren’t designed for that process very well but they are fascinating to watch. They are very determined to reach the nesting area, deposit their eggs, and get back to the water. Generally this can all be done within two or three hours.

You will generally find sea turtles living a solitary life. They aren’t territorial so it is common for them to overlap a piece of habitat with others. The only time they are generally found in a group is during migration and mating. Even the new hatchlings that make their way to the water are going to live alone until they are mature enough for the mating process.

Depending on the type of sea turtle, they can live from 50 to 80 years in the wild. There are plenty of conservation efforts these days to help ensure they can live that long. Protection of their natural habitat both in the water and on land is vital to being successful with such efforts. Many sea turtles that live in captivity are able to thrive. Others are only in captivity long enough for injuries to heal and then they can be successfully released back into the wild.

Almost all of the species of sea turtles are listed as Endangered Species. This is due to the constant destruction of their natural habitat as well as the waters they live in being polluted. They often face other dangers too including being hunted, their eggs being harvested as a source of food, and getting caught up in fishing nets. There are plenty of conservation efforts in place so hopefully they will help to get the number of them to increase.