SPECIES

Of the seven living species of marine turtles, five ply the waters off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Click on the various pictures to access a more in-depth discussion of the respective species.


[Loggerhead Sea Turtle]






Name:Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)
Distribution:Bahamas, Cuba, The Dominican Republic and the east coast of the U.S. as far north as NJ and south through the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico
Attributes:Average length of 38 inches and can weigh from 200 to 400 pounds
Diet:Crabs, mollusks, shrimp and jellyfish as well as encrusting animals that attach themselves to rocks and reefs



[Green Sea Turtle]






Name:Green (Chelonia mydas)
Distribution:Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans, The Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea
Attributes:About 3 and-a-half feet long and 300 pounds
Diet:As juveniles: shellfish, jellyfish and other marine creatures. As adults: sea grasses and algae



[Hawksbill Sea Turtle]






Name:Hawkbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Distribution:All the major oceans in both tropical and subtropical waters
Attributes:Between 31 and 36 inches long and 100 to 120 pounds
Diet:Sponges, tunicates, mollusks and sea urchins



[Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle]






Name:Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempi)
Distribution:Open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf Coast of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Florida
Attributes:Average shell length of 26 to 27 inches and weighs in at between 80 and 100 pounds
Diet:Primarily blue crabs as well as mollusks, shrimp and jellyfish



[Leatherback Sea Turtle]






Name:Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)
Distribution:Most widely distributed of the sea turtles, occurring in both pelagic and coastal ocean waters around the globe
Attributes:Average length of eight-and-a-half feet and a weight in excess of 2000 pounds
Diet:Primarily jellyfish as well as squid and marine fauna



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