Turtles can hold their breath for two hours before surfacing.
Even if this photo was in color, you would not use the color of the shell to determine that this is a “green turtle”. The name “green turtle” actually comes from their green fatty tissue. There are other ways to determine that this is a green turtle. Green turtles only have two plates between their eyes, where as hawksbill turtles have two pairs of plates between their eyes. However, that won’t help us here, as this turtle is looking away from us. That is how I was able to get this close. I enjoy this photo because it gives the prospective of the turtle, at eye level. If you look closely, you will see the turtle’s head poking above its shell in the top center of the photo.
This photo was taken in Key Largo, Florida. My friend Jason and I were drift diving along Molasses Reef in around 60 feet of water. We came across this green turtle taking a nap. We approached slowly and from behind, so not to startle the turtle. We were able to observe the napping turtle for several minutes before it woke up and headed to the surface for a breath. Turtles and divers both need to breathe, and because of this we aren’t able to spend a lot of time together. Turtles can hold their breath for two hours before surfacing. However, when they are active they will surface every few minutes to breathe.
Turtles are vulnerable creatures. They are continually losing nesting grounds due to coastal development and pollution. As WBP wrote about in January 2020, turtles can become entangled in fishing gear. Although illegal, in some areas turtles and turtle eggs are harvested, further reducing their populations. Fortunately, there are great turtle rescue non-profits like our partner Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue.
Although illegal, in some areas turtles and turtle eggs are harvested
Did you know?
- You can find green sea turtles in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans!
- Female green turtles will typically mate every 2-4 years.
- Green turtles can live to be 90 years old!
- The temperature of the developing eggs determines the sex of the turtle. This is called temperature dependent sex determination. If the nest temperature is warmer, it is more likely to yield a female turtle.
- At the 50-70 day mark, the eggs hatch and the juvenile turtles make a mad dash to the ocean.
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