Fun Facts About Sea Turtles
It’s World Sea Turtle Day (June 16)! Sea turtles are amazing creatures that deserve to thrive on our planet. In honor of this day, let’s learn some fun, wild, and unexpected facts about sea turtles!
1. There are seven species of sea turtles
The seven species are leatherback turtles, green sea turtles, loggerhead turtles, hawksbill turtles, kemp’s ridley turtles, olive ridley turtles, and flatback turtles. All of these species except flatback turtles are found in US waters and are classified as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
2. Sea turtles are as old as dinosaurs
Dinosaurs went extinct about sixty-five million years ago, and the oldest sea turtle fossil ever found dates back to one hundred twenty million years ago. That means that sea turtles existed alongside dinosaurs! Seems crazy, right?
3. Sea turtles can’t retreat into their shells
Many people have an image of turtles in their head — slow moving and spends most of the time hiding in their shells. But that couldn’t be further from the truth for sea turtles! Unlike snails, hermit crabs, and other animals who have shells, a sea turtle’s shell is actually part of their body — it’s their spine!
4. Sea turtles lay eggs in nests they dig out of the sand
Have you ever been to a beach where part of it was closed off for turtle nesting? Well, adult sea turtles will dig holes on the beach and lay their eggs in them (up to one hundred twenty-five eggs per nest!) and once the eggs hatch, the baby sea turtles make their way into the ocean. Unfortunately, not all of them make it due to tourists disrupting them or other natural forces. The ones that do make it live in the ocean, where they hopefully live a long, happy life.
5. Sea turtles can hold their breath for hours
So if sea turtles are born on land and are actually reptiles, how do they breathe? Unlike fish, sea turtles do not have gills. Instead, their anatomy has evolved over time to be able to retain oxygen, allowing them to stay underwater for extended periods of time. When a sea turtle is underwater, its heart rate slows down a lot — even down to just one beat every nine minutes — which helps them stay underwater longer.
Sea turtles are fascinating creatures, and we should do all that we can to protect them and all the biodiversity in our oceans! Use less single-use plastics and reduce fish consumption to help save the sea turtles!