The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is one of seven species of sea turtle in our oceans. Six of the seven species are currently endangered, with the loggerhead classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. From the moment they’re born as hatchlings, baby loggerheads must fight for survival. In fact, as few as one in 1,000 survive into adulthood.
Conservation of these fascinating migrating creatures is vital, and here at Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay we have our very own rescue Mediterranean loggerhead, which we’ll introduce you to later!
So, here’s all you need to know about loggerhead sea turtles.
What are loggerhead sea turtles?
The loggerhead sea turtle is the largest of the hard-shelled turtles, and are named after their big heads and strong jaws. This particular species is considered to be a keystone species, which means other animals within its ecosystem depend on it in order to survive. Loggerhead sea turtles are part of the Cheloniidae family, which makes them related to the hawksbill sea turtle, green sea turtle and Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.
What do loggerhead sea turtles look like?
Loggerhead sea turtles have a reddish-brown shell with a yellow bottom, which is heart-shaped. Their shell is flat and wide in order to be better streamlined, and paddle-like flippers for their front limbs. As they are part of the Cheloniidae family, they have stronger front limbs than back limbs. Their front flippers typically propel them through the water, while their back limbs help with stability and steering.
Males can be identified by their long tail that extends beyond their shell, whereas females have shorter tails.
Habitat of a loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtles are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. They spend most of their time in oceans, shallow estuarial waters, and on nesting beaches.
Mediterranean loggerheads are the smallest of this species, and are found throughout countries such as Greece, Cyprus, the southern region of Italy and Turkey. Only two species of sea turtle will breed in the Mediterranean, which includes the loggerhead turtle and green turtle.
Loggerhead sea turtles are migratory animals and while they prefer coastal habitats in subtropical waters, they will also travel through inland bodies of water. Interestingly, this species will use the Earth’s invisible magnetic field to navigate the sea, which females use to return to the beach where they themselves hatched, in order to lay their eggs. They can travel thousands of miles to do this.
What do loggerhead sea turtles eat and drink?
Loggerhead turtles eat a lot. They are carnivorous bottom-feeders, usually eating small invertebrates, jellyfish, fish, seaweed and brown algae. Young loggerhead turtles feed on small animals that live on floating mats called sargassum, where they spend their early years. They also use their powerful jaws for crushing the shells of crabs and other animals, before eating them too.
Loggerheads also have something called salt glands near their eyes, allowing them to drink salt water and then excrete the salt through their salt glands.
How do loggerhead sea turtles reproduce?
Loggerhead sea turtles will mate every 2-3 years. The male will try to win over the female through nuzzling, biting and head and flipper movements – in some cases, males will fight for the female’s affection and the winner will gain the right to mate. Mating typically takes place on the migration routes between their feeding and breeding grounds. In the Northern Hemisphere, mating takes place between March and June, and in the Southern Hemisphere, it takes place between October and March.
The average sea turtle lays around 110 eggs in a single nest, laying dozens each night as they return to the land before heading back into the oceans during the day. Once the female loggerhead has laid all her eggs, the eggs will incubate in the nests before hatching. This is when her work is done, however, and she swims back into the ocean to leave her little ones to start their lives alone.
How do loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings fight for survival?
The fight for survival starts before these cute critters are even born. Predators are on the scene as soon as the mother lays her eggs on the beach.
Spend a day on one of these beaches and you’ll likely see raccoons and wild pigs, crabs and birds, all interested in feeding on the tiny eggs of the mother’s unborn hatchlings. Once they hatch during the main hatching seasons of May to October, you’ll witness one of nature’s most breath-taking (and often heart-breaking natural wonders) as each tiny hatchling starts its little journey into the wild world.
After hatching, the race is on. These tiny turtles use their flipper power to make their way to the ocean, but it’s not just the beach where they’re in danger. There are more predators once they reach the water. Fish and sharks feed on loggerhead turtles throughout their lives, the latter even feeding on loggerheads when they’re full-sized – that’s a 160 kg meal!
How long do loggerhead sea turtles live for?
Loggerheads live for quite a long time, just like many other species of turtle – up to 70-80 years to be more precise! They reach maturity around 35 years old. Our own loggerhead, Omiros, is thought to be around 45 years old at the very least.
Are loggerhead sea turtles endangered?
Nearly all 7 species of sea turtle are classified as endangered or vulnerable, and a lot of it is down to human activity. Accidental capture by fishing gear is one of the biggest threats to sea turtles, but they are also killed for their eggs, meat, skin and shells. Climate change also plays a role when it comes to the turtles’ nesting beaches.
The loggerhead sea turtle is currently listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN, which means they are at risk of becoming endangered.
What can we do to help loggerhead sea turtles?
There are a number of things we can do to help the loggerhead sea turtle as well as many other species of marine life. Participating in beach clean-ups and other such activity can help to keep beaches and oceans free from litter and debris, while reducing how much plastic we use can help to decrease the amount of plastic that ends up in our world’s waters.
If you visit a beach, be sure not to disturb nesting turtles, their nests or their hatchlings. You should also fill in any holes in the sand, and knock down your sandcastles before you leave, as these can become obstacles for hatchlings when trying to reach the water.
Learn more about Omiros!
We rescued Omiros back in 2009, after he was found with a fishhook wound to his eye which eventually led to him becoming blind. Due to this, he wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild and so he’s been with us ever since his rescue! He is a Mediterranean loggerhead, having been rescued off the coast of Greece.
Here at Blue Reef Aquarium we’ve been involved in various turtle rescues, including the baby loggerhead Tallulah who was released back into the wild successfully after round-the-clock care from our team.
Come and visit our very own loggerhead sea turtle here at the Ocean Tunnel exhibit at Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay. Check out our visitor information to find out more about our opening hours and how to find us, and book your tickets today.