Overview

The green sea turtle is one of the world's most ancient and beloved marine reptiles, navigating by magnetic fields across thousands of kilometres of open ocean. Adults graze seagrass meadows and algae, shaping underwater landscapes that support fish and invertebrates.

Females haul ashore at night on tropical beaches, digging nests with their flippers and laying over 100 eggs before returning to sea. Hatchlings scramble to the surf by moonlight — a perilous journey where only a fraction survive to adulthood.

Habitat

Warm coastal waters, seagrass beds, and coral reefs worldwide hold green sea turtles. Nesting beaches span Florida, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Caribbean — females return to the same coastline where they themselves hatched.

Countries found

Interesting facts

01
Sea turtles return to the same beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs.
02
Green turtles can hold their breath for hours while sleeping underwater.
03
They navigate using Earth's magnetic field — an internal GPS.

Conservation status

EN — Endangered

Green sea turtles are Endangered, threatened by fishing nets, plastic pollution, coastal development, and egg poaching. Protected nesting beaches and turtle excluder devices on fishing nets have helped some populations recover.