Let’s Learn About Our Annual Visitors: 10 Amazing Facts About Sea Turtles

With the turtle nesting season now open, we imagine many of you will head to the nesting grounds to observe nature at work.

There is something magical about the process. The female turtles make a laborious journey up the shore, dig a nest with repeated brushes of their flippers, lay their eggs, conceal them with sand, and head back to sea. Later, the hatchlings are left to make their way into the open ocean to join their mothers.

This annual ritual takes place at various locations along the Caribbean coastline. Some islands have varying green, hawksbill, leatherback, and loggerhead populations. For example, there are greater concentrations of leatherbacks in Grenada and Trinidad than in the Bahamas.

In comparison, hawksbill turtles are common in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and are joined by green sea turtles in Montserrat. The leatherback, green, and hawksbill nest in St. Lucia, Bonaire, and BVI. However, all four species can be found in Aruba.

As you head off with the family to see these remarkable creatures, we thought we might share some amazing facts about our annual visitors.  

Amazing facts about Sea Turtles

1. A sea turtle’s nest’s temperature plays an essential role in the hatchlings’ sex.
   
   
2. Sea turtles differ from their freshwater cousins in that they cannot retract into their shells.
   
   
3. Of the various species of sea turtles, leatherbacks weigh the most, between 550 pounds and 2,000 pounds, while Hawksbill turtles, which typically weigh 100-150 pounds, weigh the least.
   
   
4. Hawksbill turtles reach maturity between 20 to 35 years and typically live up to 60 years.
   
   
5. Green turtles have earned their names from their fat, not their shells. Their diet primarily comprises seagrasses and algae, which results in their fat appearing greenish. 
   
   
6. Hawksbill turtles are so-named because their tapered heads and pointed jaws resemble hawks.
   
   
7. Sea turtles are terrific swimmers because their shells and flippers help them move gracefully through the water.
   
   
8. Although sea turtles come up for air, as cold-blooded reptiles, they spend most of their time underwater. The Green sea turtle is known to stay submerged for five hours.
   
   
9. In addition to being agile swimmers, Leatherback sea turtles are excellent divers and can reach depths of 4,000ft. They can also maintain the depth for 85 minutes.
   
   
10. Female sea turtles nest under the cover of night. They are susceptible to artificial light, which can be disorienting for them and their hatchlings.  

We hope you enjoy your visit with the turtles. Remember, they’re an endangered species, so follow your guide’s instructions carefully.
 

Sources: NOAA Fisheries, Unitebvi Foundation and Sea Turtle.