The Magnificent Seven

There are seven marine turtle species worldwide, three of which are listed as “Endangered” or “Critically Endangered”. Each have their own habitats, needs and peculiarities, but how much longer will we be able to enjoy their presence on our planet?

- Text by Serina Rahman

1. LOGGERHEAD (Caretta caretta)

Caretta caretta is classified as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It prefers areas around the coast but also tends to swim far upriver to inland water bodies. It can be found worldwide throughout temperate, subtropical and tropical waters.

It is named for its massive head and strong jaws that allow it to prey on its favourite food: molluscs and crustaceans. The loggerhead has a reddish-brown shell that can grow to about one metre and it can weigh up to 150 kilograms. Its shell has more encrusting organisms such as barnacles than any other species.

2. GREEN SEA TURTLE (Chelonia mydas)

Chelonia mydas is an endangered species found worldwide throughout the tropics and to some extent in subtropical oceans. It has a dark brown, sometimes mottled heart-shaped carapace that can grow up to 1.5 metres long. Its common name comes from the green colour of its fat that was once used to make soup. Today, many countries ban the import and export of the turtle’s meat and eggs.

Green turtles are carnivorous as juveniles, dining on jellyfish, crustaceans and sponges, but they become vegetarian as they get older, eating only seagrass and seaweeds as adults. Weighing up to 200 kilograms, the green turtle can reach an age of about 80 years. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, they tend to stay warm by basking on land - they have been spotted on the beach next to seals and albatrosses and are one of the few species to leave the water for reasons other than nesting.