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Sea Turtle Facts
What are the differences between the five sea turtles that we can see in the local ocean?
Leatherback
- Severely endangered
- Largest and deepest diving of the sea turtles
- Named for smooth, rubbery shell
- Feeds on jellyfish
- Weighs 700-1500 pounds and measures 4 to 8 feet in length
- Nests in Florida from March through July
Loggerhead
- Threatened
- Most common sea turtle in Florida
- Named for its large head
- Feeds on crabs, mollusks, encrusting animals attached to reefs and rocks
- Weighs 200 to 350 pounds and measures about 3 feet in length
- Nests in Florida from April through September
Green
- Endangered
- Named for greenish color of body fat
- Feeds on seagrass and seaweed
- Adult females weigh 300 pounds and are 3-4 feet in length
- Nests in Florida from May through September
Hawksbill
- Endangered
- Has a beautiful shell, which is used for jewelry causing this turtle to be listed internationally as critically endangered
- Feeds on sponges
- Very few, if any hawksbills nest in Palm Beach County
Kemp’s Ridley
- Most endangered of all the sea turtles
- Smallest of the sea turtles
- Nesting is restricted to a 20-mile stretch of beach in western Gulf of Mexico
- Nesting often occurs in large aggregations during the daylight
- Feeds on blue crabs, clams, mussels, fish and jellyfish
- Adult weighs 85-100 pounds and measures 24-30 inches in length.
How do sea turtle patients arrive at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center for rehabilitation?
LMC is one of 12 sea turtle rehabilitation facilities in the State. Patients are transported to the LMC under the direction of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
How many turtles do you rehabilitate a year?
Hundreds of juvenile through adult sea turtles and over 1,000 hatchlings are cared for each year. Unfortunately, not all patients can be successfully rehabiliated.
What are sea turtles’ biggest predators?
The eggs of sea turtles can be a meal for foxes, raccoons, crabs, and other small carnivores. Many human cultures throughout the tropics of the world also consume sea turtle eggs as a source of protein and/or for cultural ceremony (now illegal in the U.S.). As hatchlings, their predators include birds, small land animals, insects, and fish. As adults, their biggest predators are humans. Humans commercially harvest sea turtles for their meat, flippers and shells. Many sea turtles die from commercial fishing techniques, and ever-developing coastlines disrupt reproductive processes.
How many hatchlings reach adulthood?
It is not known. However, many years of research have lead experts to predict that approximately 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 eggs produce hatchlings that reach adulthood.
How old do sea turtles get?
It is not known. However, it is widely believed that they can reach at least 80 –100 years old.
When is official sea turtle nesting season?
March 1st through October 31st in Palm Beach County.
How long can sea turtles hold their breath?
It varies widely. The rate at which sea turtles utilize the oxygen they take with them underwater determines how frequently they must surface for air. Research has shown that dive durations of 15 to 30 minutes are common.
What types of sea turtles nest on Juno and Jupiter Beach?
Leatherbacks, loggerheads and greens. However, one may see Kemps Ridley and Hawksbill turtles swimming off our coast, but rarely, if ever, do they nest on our local beaches.
Are turtle nests protected on the beach?
They are protected by State and Federal law. However, only a fraction of the total number of nests on our beach are marked in any fashion. The vast majority are left to incubate naturally, without further protection.
Do beachgoers harm turtle nests?
No, sea turtles bury their nests deep enough to be unaffected by routine beach activity.
How many eggs are there per nest?
There are approximately 100 eggs per nest, with a 60 day incubation period.
What happens to the sea turtle eggs if they are exposed?
If the eggs are not hatched, rotation and exposure to the elements often causes the eggs to stop developing. Beach erosion comonly exposes turtle nests, which is an unfortunate but natural process.
What beaches do you patrol for sea turtle nests?
The LMC's Research Staff patrol six miles of beach between John D. MacArthur State Park and the Jupiter Reef Club.
Why do we have to turn lights off along the beach for the turtles?
Adult females avoid lighted beaches for nesting, and emergent hatchlings often become disoriented by beachfront lighting as they try to reach the ocean.
Why are the loggerhead nest counts getting lower each year?
It is not known. However, potential explanations include a declining population; poor reproductive output; and/or a not-yet-identified cyclic variation in reproductive activity.
Why can’t we touch the turtles that reside at the Center?
For several reasons: the turtles are here because they are ill or injured, human contact can be an unnecessary source of stress; there may be unwanted bacterial exchange between humans and turtles; and… they bite!
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