Sea turtles live in the ocean. They are found in all oceans except in the polar regions.
Female sea turtles return to the sand to hatch their eggs. Females lay up to 200 eggs at a time, and then they return to the ocean. Did you know that the temperature determines whether a sea turtle will be female or male? Temperatures above 85 degrees Farenheit result in female turtles. The turtles we released were female!
We released them in the sand and not directly into the ocean bcause moving through the sand is part of their imprinting process. We also couldn't hold them directly because oils from our hands could interfere with the imprinting process.
Sea turtles find their food in the ocean. Most are either omnivorous (eat plants and animals) or herbiverous (eat only plants).
There are seven known species of sea turtles. Some are on the endangered list. Humans sometimes hunt sea turtles for food and for their shells.
Sea turtle releasing is done to help protect the sea turtles. When volunteers find a newly laid nest of eggs, they move the eggs to a safe place.
Sea turtles can also be harmed by debris on beaches, and they can become entangled in fishing nets.
One way you can help sea turtles is by trying not to use plastic straws! Plastic straws often end up in the oceans where they can be harmful to turtles by getting stuck in their noses, or if the turtles mistake the straw for food.
