Fascinating facts about turtles

Sea turtles have lungs like you and me – they come to the surface to breathe air and do not use gills like fish.
Sea turtles cannot pull their heads into their shells, like land tortoises.
Sea turtles can hold their breath for hours while diving.
A large leatherback female turtle can lay up to a 1000 eggs in a nesting season by laying about 100 eggs, 10 times.
Sea turtles have no sex chromosomes – the sand temperature determines if it is a male or female.
Turtles travel incredible distances around the world’s oceans.
Turtles love the reefs along the South African coast – and we find turtles on our reefs all year round.
While we have learnt a lot about turtles – there is still so much to learn.

Loggerhead bio

Leatherback bio

Sexual maturity: 36.2 years (range 28 to 44 years) at 83.7 cm SCL but high variation in all populations (10-39 years)
Maximum reproductive lifespan ~ 18 years, 28 years North Western Atlantic, 37 years South Western Pacific
Generation length 45 years, 62.8 years. Lifespan estimation in marine turtles using genomic promoter CpG density.
Weight maximum = 107 kg / mean size = 85 cm

Loggerhead turtle

Caretta caretta

Sexual maturity: 14-22 years at 121 cm CCL (extreme variation depending on environmental conditions) / 20 years to maturity
Maximum reproductive lifespan: ~ 19 years
Generation length 30 years, 90.4 years
Weight: maximum adult: 646 kg / mean size = 160 cm

Sexual maturity: 26-44 years at 99 cm SCL (varies depending on location for all species)
Maximum reproductive lifespan unknown in South Africa, 17-23 years in Australia
Generation length ~ 35-50 years but maximum age not yet determined
Weight max adult = 210 kg / mean size SWIO = ~ 110 cm

green turtle bio

hawksbill bio

olive ridley bio