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Sea turtle

Marine life profile

Sea turtle

Recorded at 55 dive sites

Where divers encounter it

Explore Sea turtle around the world

Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. It alternates between relaxed cruising, feeding and resting, surfacing periodically to breathe.

Dive sites55
Countries19
Animal groupTurtles
Safety profileGenerally Harmless

Meet the species

What to look for

How to Recognize It

Look for a streamlined shell, paddle-shaped front flippers and a beaked face built for its preferred food.

How It Behaves

It alternates between relaxed cruising, feeding and resting, surfacing periodically to breathe.

Special Ability

Powerful navigation instincts guide long journeys between feeding grounds and nesting beaches.

Dive responsibly

Share the water well

How to Approach

Stay beside or slightly behind it, never above it when it needs to surface. Let the turtle set the pace.

Safety

Do not touch, feed, ride or block a turtle. Maintain distance at cleaning stations and around resting animals.

Worth knowing

The detail you remember

Interesting Facts

The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley.

Where to Find

Look around seagrass meadows, coral reefs, rocky feeding grounds and protected bays with access to the surface.

Known countries

Puerto RicoIndonesiaMexicoBarbadosMalaysiaEgyptUnited States of America (USA)JapanSint MaartenThailandIndiaAustraliaUnited StatesCuracao