Sea turtles, sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley. Six of the seven sea turtle species, all but the flatback, are present in U.S. waters, and are listed as endangered and/or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. All but the flatback turtle are listed as threatened with extinction globally on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The flatback turtle is found only in the waters of Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.
The leatherback sea turtle, sometimes called the lute turtle, leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to 2.7 metres and weights of 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell; instead, its carapace is covered by oily flesh and flexible, leather-like skin, for which it is named. Leatherback turtles have a global range, although there are multiple distinct subpopulations. The species as a whole is considered vulnerable, and some of its subpopulations are critically endangered.
The olive ridley sea turtle, also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world. L. olivacea is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but also in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The loggerhead sea turtle is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) in carapace length when fully grown. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing in at more than 450 kg (1,000 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons than the females.
The green sea turtle, also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but it is also found in the Indian Ocean. The common name refers to the usually green fat found beneath its carapace, due to its diet strictly being seagrass, not to the color of its carapace, which is olive to black.
The Australian flatback sea turtle is a species of sea turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is endemic to the sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters of the Australian continental shelf. This turtle gets its common name from the fact that its shell has a flattened or lower dome than the other sea turtles. It can be olive green to grey with a cream underside. It averages from 76 to 96 cm in carapace length and can weigh from 70 to 90 kg. The hatchlings, when emerging from nests, are larger than other sea turtle hatchlings when they hatch.
Turtle Islands Park is located within the Turtle Islands, which lie in the Sulu Sea some 3 kilometres north of Sandakan in Sabah, Malaysia. It consists of 3 islands - Selingaan, Little Bakkungan and Gulisaan, including the surrounding coral reefs and ocean. The Park is noted for its green turtles and hawksbill turtles which lay their eggs on the beaches of the islands. The Park covers an area of 17.4 km². The name Turtle Islands, however, refers to 10 islands, 3 of which are part of Turtle Islands Park of Malaysia, and 7 which belong to the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary of Tawi-Tawi province, Philippines.
Rantau Abang is a small village in Dungun District, Terengganu, Malaysia, which used to be known for its leatherback sea turtle nesting.
Topsail Island is a 26-mile (41.8 km) long barrier island off the coast of North Carolina, roughly equidistant between the barrier islands of the Crystal Coast and the beaches of the Cape Fear region, lying south of Jacksonville, North Carolina and Camp Lejeune. The northeastern edge of the island is the New River Inlet, and the southwestern edge is New Topsail Inlet. It is separated from the mainland by a series of small sounds and channels that make up a portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
Mon Repos Conservation Park is a national park containing an important turtle rookery located at Mon Repos, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of Bundaberg. Mon Repos hosts the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland and supports the most significant nesting population of the endangered loggerhead turtle in the South Pacific Ocean. Successful breeding here is critical if the loggerhead species is to survive. In far smaller numbers the flatback and green turtles and, intermittently, the leatherback turtle also nest along the Bundaberg coast.
Gahirmatha Beach is a beach in Kendrapara district of the Indian state of Odisha. The beach separates the Bhitarkanika Mangroves from the Bay of Bengal and is the world's most important nesting beach for olive ridley sea turtles. The beach is part of Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, which also includes the adjacent portion of the Bay of Bengal.
Dalyan is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of Ortaca, Muğla Province, Turkey. Its population is 5,829 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (belde). It is located between Marmaris and Fethiye on the south-west coast of Turkey.
La Ventanilla is a small village on a beach and lagoon in the municipality of Santa María Tonameca, Oaxaca, Mexico. It is best known as an ecotourism center based on its natural resources. It is located on the Costa Chica section of Oaxaca, just west of Mazunte. The La Ventanilla area consists of a long, unbroken stretch of undeveloped beach and a lagoon wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Madre del Sur. In the 1990s, the area was nothing more than a coconut plantation with three families living there, and did not have electricity until 1999. Today, the area is home to about twenty five Zapotec families who are dedicated to preserving the ecology of both the beach and the lagoon and live in a small village located on the far east end of the beach.
João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park is a national park in Guinea-Bissau. It was established in August 2000. It covers an area of 495.0 square kilometres (191.1 sq mi) and includes the uninhabited islands of João Vieira, Cavalos, Meio and Poilão, in the southeastern part of the Bijagós Archipelago. The beaches of the islands are frequented by the sea turtle species Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata and Lepidochelys olivacea.
The Leatherback Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and study of sea turtles and freshwater turtles, with special regard for the leatherback sea turtle. The Leatherback Trust was founded in 2000 to help consolidate Las Baulas National Marine Park, one of the last major nesting site for the critically endangered leatherback turtle in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The park protects Playa Grande, Playa Ventanas, Playa Langosta, the ocean out to 12 nautical miles, wetlands, highlands, and the coast inland to 125 m from the high tide line.
Khao Lampi–Hat Thai Mueang National Park is a national park in Phang Nga Province, Thailand. The park is named for its two separate sections: Khao Lampi named for the park section containing Lampi mountain range and Hat Thai Mueang, the beach section of the park.
Jairo Mora Sandoval was a Costa Rican environmentalist who was murdered while attempting to protect leatherback turtle nests. Just before midnight on May 30, 2013, Mora and four female volunteers were abducted by a group of masked men. The women eventually escaped and informed the police. Mora's bound and beaten body was found on the beach the next morning. An autopsy determined he died by asphyxiation after suffering a blow to the head.
Sirinat National Park is a national park in Phuket Province, Thailand. This park, with sections on land and sea, is in the northwest of the island of Phuket.
Kosgoda is a small town in the Galle District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is situated on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, approximately 50 km (31 mi) north of Galle and 76 km (47 mi) south of Colombo.
Poilão is a small uninhabited island in the Bijagós Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau. It contains the country's southernmost point, at 10°51'53"N,15°43'36"W. It is part of the João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park. The island is heavily forested. The nearest islands are Meio, 7 nmi (13 km) to the north, Cavalos, 9 nmi (17 km) to the north and João Vieira, 11 nmi (20 km) to the north-northeast. Its area is 43 ha. Between ca. 7000 and 29,000 green sea turtle nests are laid per year at the globally important site of Poilão Island. There is a lighthouse on the island, with focal height 27 m (89 ft).
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