All About Sea Turtles

For more than 100 million years, sea turtles have been traveling the world's oceans. They are some of the oldest living reptiles, so old, in fact, that their ancestors were around at the time of the dinosaurs. Let's take a dive with these ancient marine animals. There are seven different species of sea turtles that can be found all around the world, from the shallow seagrass beds of the Indian Ocean and the colorful reefs of the Caribbean, to the sandy beaches of the Eastern Pacific. Sea turtles are commonly found in shallow waters, but they sometimes dive to deeper depths to hide from predators, find cooler temperatures, and look for their favorite foods like jellyfish, sponges, and crustaceans such as crabs. The leatherback sea turtle, the largest of the seven species, has been known to dive as deep as 4,000 feet beneath the surface. Unlike other turtles, sea turtles can't retract their head and flippers into their shell for protection, but lucky for them, their flippers help them power through the water at as much as 22 miles per hour. While sea turtles spend most of their time in the ocean, they actually can't breathe underwater. They must come to the surface of the regularly for air, and can hold their breath for as long as four to seven hours if they're resting or sleeping. Sea turtles are the only reptile to migrate far distances. Some sea turtles travel thousands of miles across entire oceans. During their journey, male sea turtles typically never leave the ocean, while female sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. On average, sea turtles lay around 110 eggs at a time, usually returning to the same beach where they hatched to dig their own nests and lay their eggs. Scientific research has shown that sea turtles are able to detect the Earth's magnetic field and use it to help them navigate the oceans to find their way back to their nesting beaches. The temperature of the nest determines if the eggs develop into mostly male or female turtles. Cooler temperatures produce more male turtles, while warmer temperatures produce more female turtles. When the eggs hatch, the little turtles, or hatchlings, are on their own to make their way to the ocean. They face many obstacles along the way, like predators and litter, but the lucky ones that make it to the open ocean can live as much as 50 years or more. Over the last 200 years, human activities have threatened the survival of sea turtles, causing nearly all seven species to be currently classified as endangered. Bycatch, which is the accidental capture of marine animals in fishing nets, is one of the biggest causes of decline in sea turtle populations. Climate change is also impacting sea turtles, as warmer water temperatures are causing coral bleaching. When coral reefs are bleached for long periods of time, they eventually die and are no longer able to provide food and shelter for sea turtles and other marine life. In addition, more and more turtle nesting beaches are being developed for housing and tourism, making it more difficult for turtles to safely nest. But the good news is, WWF is helping protect sea turtles and their habitats by promoting responsible fishing practices to reduce bycatch, creating marine protected areas to ensure sea turtles have a safe place to nest, feed, and migrate, and using satellite ID tags to monitor sea turtle migrations and populations. While WWF is working hard to protect sea turtles, there are many ways we can all help these marine animals. Be aware of how you dispose of your trash, so it doesn't end up in the ocean where marine life could mistake it for food or be harmed by it in other ways. Try to avoid using single-use plastic items, like straws and bags, and always recycle items when possible. When leaving the beach, fill in holes, knock down sandcastles, and remove everything you brought with you to help make it easier for hatchlings to make their way to the ocean. Share what you learned about sea turtles today and continue to be a hero for nature with Wild Classroom. For more fun facts and activities, visit wildclassroom.org.