WiseOceans Academy
Sea turtles are some of the most charismatic creatures in our oceans, but did you know there are seven different species found around the world? Read more to learn about each of these species and where we can find them.
1. Leatherback sea turtle
Leatherback sea turtles are the largest of all the sea turtle species, growing up to 2.4 metres long! Unlike the other species their carapace is much softer, which is where they get their name from.
Leatherbacks have the widest distribution, being found throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
2. Green sea turtle
Green turtles are the second largest species after leatherbacks, growing up to 1.2 metres long. Their name doesn’t come from the colour of the outside of their body but from the colour of their fat.
Green sea turtles live in subtropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean.
3. Hawksbill sea turtles
Hawksbill turtles are smaller sea turtles that are named for their sharp pointed beak. Their pointed beaks help them get into the cracks and crevices in coral reefs to find their favourite foods.
Hawksbill sea turtles are found in tropical and some sub-tropical regions in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
4. Loggerhead sea turtles
Loggerhead sea turtles grow up to 1.2 metres long and are named for their large head and strong jaw which allows them to each hard-shelled prey.
Loggerheads are found in temperate and tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.
5. Flatback sea turtle
Flatback sea turtles are normally smaller than 1 metre long and named for their carapace which is much flatter than the other species of sea turtles.
Flatbacks have the smallest distribution of all the sea turtle species, only being found in the coastal waters of Northern Australia, Southern Indonesia, and Southern Papua New Guinea.
6. Olive ridley sea turtle
Olive ridleys are the second smallest species, only growing up to 0.6 metres long. They have a pale green carapace which is where they get their name from.
Olive ridleys are found in the tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Southern Atlantic Oceans, and are the most abundant of all the species.
7. Kemps sea turtle
Kemps ridleys are the smallest of all the sea turtle species. They are named after Richard M Kemp, who was a fisher who first identified the species in 1906.
Kemps ridleys are found in the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. Atlantic.
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