NATURE'S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY
HIGHLY HONORED
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Learn more about Chelonia mydas from the Encyclopedia of Life
North Shore, Oahu,
Hawaii, USA
IUCN Status: Endangered
By Clark Little
North Shore, Oahu,
Hawaii, USA
The green sea turtle inhabits tropical and subtropical seas around the world. Adults are found in lagoons, where they feed mainly on sea grass. They reproduce after migrating long distances between feeding grounds, and females lay 2 to 5 clutches with about 80 to 120 eggs per clutch. At night, the females emerge from the ocean to dig nests on the beach and deposit their eggs. After an incubation period of about 60 days, the hatchlings make their way back to the sea.
“A green sea turtle, honu as it is called in Hawaii, passes behind a breaking wave. These endangered turtles come into the shallow reef areas at high tide to feed and are very skilled at positioning themselves to avoid the crashing waves.” —CL
Nikon D3; 10.5mm fisheye lens; 1/1000 sec at ƒ/8; ISO 200; custom UW fiberglass housing by Taro Pascual at White Water Hawaii; hand-held.