The loggerhead sea turtle is found in shallow coastal waters all over the world from the Atlantic to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean. The loggerhead sea turtle primarily eats bottom dwelling invertebrates including mollusks, clams, jellyfish, crabs, shrimp, oysters, sponges and horseshoe crabs. It rarely eats live fish. It is believed they can live to be more than 100 years of age. They have been swimming for millions of years in the ocean, dating back to the same time dinosaurs roamed the earth. The turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean except for the nesting season in which the females drag their bodies out of the water to make a nest for their eggs. The hatchlings emerge from the nest after days of digging their way up through the sand and make their way to the ocean. During this time, the baby (hatchling) turtles are in danger from ghost crabs, birds and other predators that are willing to capture this easy prey. The uniqueness of the turtle is the female will find her way back to the same beach each year to make a nest and lay eggs.

Be sure to stop by and see the loggerhead sea turtle upon in the Georgia Explorer gallery.

• Unlike land turtles, sea turtles are unable to tuck their head and arms into their shell.
• They have no teeth, but have powerful jaws to crush their food.
• The loggerhead sea turtle was named for its large head.
• It spends much of its time floating on top of the ocean’s surface.
• No one knows where the majority of the newly hatched turtles spend their early years, which is estimated from 3-7 years.

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