Torpid Turtles

August and September is the time when Rhode Islanders can occasionally see sea turtles in the waters off our coast as they migrate to nesting sites in warmer waters.  The most common sea turtle seen here is the leatherback.

Source:  Wikipedia

Leatherbacks are super turtles - the largest (6 to 7 feet long in total length) and the most hydrodynamic with its teardrop shape.  Using their powerful flippers, they are also the fastest swimming being clocked at over 20 miles an hour.  And they are the deepest divers among sea turtles able to reach depths of 4,200 feet with dives lasting up to 30 minutes or more.  Leatherbacks also have the widest distribution of all sea turtles from the Arctic to South Africa.  Their one weakness (as with all sea turtles) is that they are very susceptible to ocean trash because they feed almost exclusively on jellyfish and often mistake plastic bags or other plastic for jellyfish.

Loggerheads can also be seen this time of year - they also have a wide distribution, but are still considered endangered because of their low reproductive rate and loss of nesting areas.  They also often fall victim to fishing nets.

Source:  Wikipedia

Loggerheads have the most varied diet of any sea turtle, including clams and crabs (their powerful jaws are perfectly capable of opening shells), sea urchins, sand dollars, sponges, fish and plants.  Speaking of shells, the loggerhead is the largest hard shell turtle (leatherbacks have a hard skin shell hence its name).

An occasional green sea turtle can also be seen in shallow lagoons feeding on seagrass.

Source:  Wikipedia

It gets its name from the green fat that can be found beneath its shell.  It has a much flatter appearance than the leatherback or loggerhead.  While the average size of the green turtle is around 3 feet long, they can grow up to 5 feet and weigh almost 700 pounds.

If you are really lucky you can also spy a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle - the most endangered of all sea turtles.

Source:  Wikipedia

The Kemp's Ridley is a smaller sea turtle although it can weigh up to 100 pounds.  Its main diet is crayfish, shrimp, algae, seaweed and sea urchins.  It is only found on the US eastern coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

I was very privileged to watch a turtle laying eggs on a beach in Florida on a family vacation MANY, MANY years ago when I was a teenager.  I can't tell you what kind of turtle it was, but I still remember the thrill.

Click here for a video of a green turtle.  Click here for a video of a loggerhead.  Click here for a video about the conservation efforts for the Kemp's Ridley.