Green sea turtle facts

The green sea turtle is a large, gentle sea turtle found in warm ocean waters around the world. Its scientific name is Chelonia mydas.

Even though it is called "green," its shell is usually brown or olive with beautiful patterns. The name "green" actually comes from the greenish color of its body fat, which is caused by its diet!

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is one of the most famous and beloved sea turtles in the world. Known for their gentle nature and graceful swimming, green sea turtles are a vital part of ocean life.

They are among the largest sea turtles, growing up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and weighing up to 300 kilograms (about 660 pounds). Despite their name, they are not truly green on the outside — their shells (called "carapaces") are usually a mix of brown, olive, and darker streaks. The name comes from the greenish color of their body fat, which is caused by their plant-based diet.

Green sea turtles are found in tropical and subtropical oceans all around the world. You can see them in places like:

• The Caribbean
• The Great Barrier Reef in Australia
• The coasts of Hawaii
• The eastern Pacific and Indian Oceans

When they are young, green sea turtles live in the open ocean (this stage is sometimes called the "lost years" because scientists don’t know exactly where they go). As they get older, they move closer to the coast, where they spend most of their adult life in shallow coastal areas, like coral reefs and seagrass meadows.

Green sea turtles are known for their long migrations, sometimes traveling thousands of miles between feeding grounds and nesting beaches. Some turtles return to the same beach where they were born to lay eggs, even if it means crossing entire oceans.

Green sea turtles are mostly herbivores, especially as adults.

• They love to eat seagrasses and algae.
• Young turtles, however, eat a wider variety of foods — including small crabs, jellyfish, and sponges — before switching to plants as they mature.

By grazing on seagrasses, green sea turtles help keep seagrass beds healthy and trimmed, which supports many other marine animals and keeps the ecosystem balanced.

Green sea turtles do not drink fresh water like land animals. Instead, they get almost all the water they need from their food (seagrasses and algae have a lot of water content).

They also have special salt glands near their eyes that help remove excess salt from their bodies. This is why it often looks like they are "crying" — they are actually expelling salty fluid.

Green sea turtles spend most of their lives swimming, feeding, and resting in shallow coastal waters. They are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for several hours when resting (but usually only for a few minutes when active).

When it’s time to breed, females leave the feeding grounds and travel to sandy beaches to lay eggs, usually at night. They dig deep nests with their back flippers, lay around 100 eggs, cover them with sand, and then return to the ocean.

After about two months, the tiny hatchlings emerge and race toward the sea. Sadly, only a few survive to adulthood due to many natural predators and human threats.

Green sea turtles play a vital role in marine ecosystems:

• By eating seagrass, they keep seagrass beds healthy and encourage new growth.
• They help maintain balance in coral reef areas by grazing on algae.

They are also an important part of many coastal cultures and traditions, symbolizing good luck, wisdom, and endurance.

Green sea turtles are classified as endangered, meaning their populations are at risk of disappearing. They face many dangers, such as:

• Getting caught in fishing nets (bycatch)
• Loss of nesting beaches due to development
• Pollution, especially plastic waste (which they sometimes mistake for jellyfish)
• Climate change affecting beach temperatures (which can change the ratio of male and female hatchlings)

Around the world, conservation programs protect nesting sites, rescue injured turtles, reduce fishing threats, and educate communities about protecting these gentle giants.

The green sea turtle is a large, peaceful sea turtle that lives in warm oceans worldwide. As adults, they are mostly plant-eaters, grazing on seagrass and algae, which helps keep the ocean healthy. They drink by absorbing water from their food and get rid of extra salt through special glands near their eyes.

They spend most of their lives swimming in shallow coastal waters but migrate long distances to nest on sandy beaches. While they face many dangers and are endangered, people around the world are working hard to protect them so future generations can continue to enjoy and learn from these beautiful ancient mariners.