Sea Turtle
Rescue & Rehabilitation

Nesting season can begin as early as May, and hatchlings may still be emerging in December. Most greens swim to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to nest but hawksbills and an occasional olive ridley nest in the main Hawaiian Islands.

Green turtles lay an average of 110 eggs per nest, while hawksbills lay an average of 160 eggs. Gestation periods average 60 days depending on temperature (they develop faster in warmer temps). A single female may nest multiple times in one season, laying a new clutch every 2 weeks.

Hatchlings use the natural light of the open horizon and the slope of the beach to navigate toward the sea. They also imprint on the Earth's magnetic field, which they will use decades later to return to their birth beach to nest—sometimes traveling thousands of miles to do so.

It is not known and varies widely by location characteristics and management practices.

Researchers predict that approximately 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 eggs produce hatchlings that survive to adulthood. Sea turtles face many natural and man-made threats, but sharks are their main predator.

• Artificial lighting—Hatchlings instinctively crawl toward the brightest horizon, which in nature is the ocean. Lights from beachfront buildings and roads can disorient them, sending them inland where they die from dehydration or vehicle strikes.

• Beach furniture and debris—Chairs, umbrellas, and litter left on the beach overnight create obstacles that trap or exhaust hatchlings before they reach the water.

• Fishing gear—Longlines, gill nets, and crab trap lines can entangle and drown hatchlings shortly after they enter the ocean.

• Plastic pollution—Young turtles frequently mistake floating plastic for jellyfish, leading to internal blockages.

The temperature of the developing eggs is what decides whether the offspring will be male or female. This is called temperature-dependent sex determination, or TSD. Climate change is a growing concern, as rising sand temperatures are producing increasingly female-skewed populations in many nesting sites worldwide.

> 87.8°F = female

< 81.86°F = male

81.86°F – 87.8°F = mix

This cannot be determined visually until adulthood (possibly 20–30 years old). Males then grow long tails while females retain their short tails.

Four hours max for adults, but 15-30 minute dives are typical. During deep sleep, they can remain submerged for up to 7 hours.

Turtles have a serrated beak and crop (a specialized section of their esophagus) to help break down food, and often take in seawater while feeding, which they later regurgitate. When red limu is in bloom, that seawater can be tinted red, making it look like blood.

Sea turtles have special glands near their eyes that remove excess salt from their bodies. This can make them look like they are crying, but they are simply releasing salt. Sometimes, this can be a significant quantity of excretion that leaves white streaks on their face.

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a herpesvirus-associated disease that causes tumor-like growths on the skin, eyes, and internal organs. While tumors can appear alarming, their severity varies, and many turtles with FP continue to survive in the wild. The exact cause is not fully understood, but it is believed to be associated with environmental factors like pollution and rising ocean temperatures.