Green Sea Turtle
Meet the iconic sea turtle species!
Green sea turtles have been swimming the oceans of the world for more than 120 million years.
Weighing roughly the same as a motorbike, and with the mileage to boot. The green sea turtle can swim up to 2,600km between nesting and feeding grounds.
Adult females will return to the same region where they were hatched to lay their own eggs.
The temperature of sand affects whether a green sea turtle is born male or female. Warmer temperatures (29C and higher) produce females. For this reason, climate change is a significant risk to the future stability of the species.
Green sea turtles are considered vulnerable to extinction, and are most susceptible to climate change, habitat loss, pollution and unsustainable fishing practices.
Facts & Figures
| COMMON NAME: | Green sea turtle |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME: | Chelonia mydas |
| FIRST NATIONS NAME(S): | Dhalwatpu (Yolnu) |
| FAMILY: | Cheloniidae |
| BODY SIZE: | 1m on average |
| DIET: | Algae, seagrasses, seaweed |
| LOCATION: | Tropical and subtropical oceans |
| CONSERVATION STATUS: | Vulnerable (EPBC) |
| POPULATION TREND | Recovering, but vulnerable |