Green Sea Turtle
By: Amanda Taylor
BIO
The fish are eating algae off the turtle's shell.
Hawksbill Sea Turtles are known for their white bellies.
A nest of hatchlings crawling out of the sand.
Breeding
They mate biannually in secluded lagoons off their nesting beaches in remote islands throughout their range. After mating, females drag their heavy bodies high onto the beach during the night. They clear an area of debris and dig a nesting hole using their rear flippers. The female then lays a clutch of eggs and covers them with sand. Nests normally contain around 140 eggs. After the hours-long process, the female then returns to the sea.
The baby turtles, usually weighing less than 24 grams (0.85 oz) hatch at night after around two months. They instinctively walk into the sea, attracted by the reflection of the moon on the water (possibly disrupted by light sources such as street lamps and lights). While they emerge under the cover of darkness, baby turtles that do not reach the water by daybreak are preyed upon by birds, crabs, and other predators.