Download top and best high-quality free Sea Turtle PNG Transparent Images backgrounds available in various sizes. To view the full PNG size resolution click on any of the below image thumbnail.

License Info: Creative Commons 4.0 BY-NC

A sea turtle is a reptile that lives in the ocean. They are cold-blooded and lay their eggs on land, but spend most of their lives in the water. There are seven different species of sea turtles: green, hawksbill, loggerhead, olive ridley, Kemp’s ridley, flatback, and leatherback. Each species has its unique characteristics, but all sea turtles are important to the marine ecosystem.

Physical Appearance

Sea turtles can vary in size, from the Kemp’s ridley, which is the smallest at about 2 feet long and weighs around 100 pounds, to the leatherback, which is the largest and can weigh over 1,500 pounds and is over 6 feet long. They have a hard, bony shell called a carapace and flippers that they use to swim through the water.

The coloration of their shell can also vary between species. The green turtle has a greenish-brown carapace, while the hawksbill has a brown and yellow shell with a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales. Loggerheads have a reddish-brown carapace with yellow undersides, and the olive ridley has a grayish-green carapace with a slightly hooked beak.

Habitat and Distribution

Sea turtles can be found in all the world’s oceans, except for the Arctic. The Kemp’s ridley and olive ridley primarily inhabit the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, while the green turtle is found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters.

Sea turtles are migratory animals, and some individuals travel thousands of miles between their nesting and foraging grounds. The leatherback, for example, is capable of swimming over 10,000 miles in a year, from their nesting areas in Indonesia to their feeding areas in California.

Diet and Behavior

Sea turtles are primarily herbivores, feeding mainly on seagrasses, seaweed, and algae. However, some species, such as the loggerhead and leatherback, also eat jellyfish, crabs, and other small aquatic animals.

Sea turtles are solitary creatures and only come together during the breeding season. Females come ashore to lay their eggs, and males can be seen attempting to mate with them in the water. Sea turtles usually lay their eggs on sandy beaches in nests that they dig with their flippers. After hatching, baby turtles make their way to the water, where they swim for several days or weeks before heading out to sea.

Conservation Status

Sea turtles are currently listed as either threatened or endangered, depending on the species, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The most significant threat to sea turtles is human activity. They are often captured for their shells and meat, and their eggs are collected from nesting sites. Many turtles are also caught accidentally in fishing nets and drown before being released.

Beach developments and beachfront lighting can also impact nesting turtles and disorientate hatchlings and adults. Climate change is also having a significant impact, as rising sea levels can destroy nesting spots, and warmer sand can result in more female hatchlings, which can lead to a gender imbalance.

Wrapping it up

Sea turtles are magnificent creatures that play an essential role in the ocean’s ecosystem. They face many threats, but with increased conservation efforts, their populations can recover. By reducing pollution, creating protected marine areas, reducing bycatch in fishing nets, and developing sustainable fishing practices, we can ensure the survival of these majestic animals for future generations to enjoy.

Download Sea Turtle PNG images transparent gallery