Sea Turtles

Sea turtles are some of the most graceful and majestic animals in the ocean. They glide through the water effortlessly, flapping their arms like wings. Sea turtles can be found throughout the oceans of the world, from coral reefs to open waters.

Sea turtles have a very unusual life cycle for a marine organism. They spend nearly their whole lives in the ocean but come out onto land to lay their eggs. Sea turtles somehow remember where they are born and will migrate hundreds of miles to return to the exact place they hatched to give birth to the next generation.

A female sea turtle will crawl out onto the beach and dig a hole where she deposits hundreds of eggs which look just like pingpong balls. After incubating in the warm sand, they will all dig their way out of the sand, erupting out of the ground. They make a mad dash towards the waves, running from the many predators that see them as an easy snack.

Baby sea turtles are instinctively attracted to light. The moon naturally points them towards the waves where they will be safe. They will also follow any other light that seems brighter than the moon, including houses and street lamps. This is why many seaside areas are asked to turn thier lights off at night during breeding season. Most species of sea turtles are endangered, but humans are working hard to protect these majestic animals.