Black sea turtle

NOT ON EXHIBIT

At the Aquarium

Natural History

Long considered to be a subspecies of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), black sea turtles tend to inhabit bays and protected shores and aren’t commonly observed in the open ocean.

For turtles, shells are natural suits of armor that protect them from predators. A black sea turtle’s upper shell (carapace) is steep sided, tear shaped and blackish with brown and yellow mottles. Its lower shell (plastron) is dark gray or gray green. Sea turtles can’t draw their arms, legs and heads into their shells, but their large size and scaly, tough neck skin also help protect them from predators.

Over millions of years, the forelegs of sea turtles have changed to flipper-shaped blades, which help them “fly” through the water—sometimes as fast as 15 miles (24 km) per hour. Sea turtles use their hind feet as rudders.

Instead of teeth, these turtles have sharp beaks, which allow them to cut and tear their food. Sea turtles can drink sea water because they have glands near their eyes that remove excess salt.

Conservation

Black sea turtles are protected as endangered or threatened species throughout their range. Factors contributing to their decline include overutilization as a food source, loss of nesting habitat and inadvertent drowning when they’re trapped in fishing gear meant for other animals.

Cool Facts

Female sea turtles may travel thousands of miles to return to their nesting site to lay eggs. The sex of each hatchling is determined by the temperature at which it was incubated while in its egg.
As juveniles, black sea turtles live in the open ocean, eating invertebrates, algae and jellies. Adult turtles move to sea grass beds in shallower coastal waters, where they become herbivores and thrive on eating sea plants.
Turtles are reptiles, related to snakes, crocodiles and now-extinct dinosaurs.

Animal Facts

ON EXHIBIT
Scientific Name:
Chelonia agassizii
Habitat:
Open Waters
Animal Type:
Reptiles
Diet:
algae, sea grasses, jellies
Size:
up to 4 feet long (1.2 m), and 278 pounds (126 kg)
Range:
tropical Eastern Pacific, from central Baja California to Peru
Relatives:
Black sea turtles are closely related to green sea turtles, and are in the same family as the loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp's or Atlantic ridley, olive or Pacific ridley and the Australian flatback.

Celebrating 25 Years of Ocean Conservation