Q: Do sea turtles migrate?
SW: Some do! Green sea turtles may travel up to 1,300 miles (2,094 km) from summer nesting grounds to winter feeding grounds.
Q: How long can they stay under water?
SW: Hawksbill sea turtles can stay under water for up to 45 minutes. Green sea turtles can slow their heart rate enough to stay under water for as long as five hours!
Q: How big do they get?
SW: The leatherback is the largest of all living sea turtles, and they’re quite a sight! Mature leatherbacks reach shells lengths of about 6 ft. (1.9 m). The heaviest leatherback ever known weighed a whopping 2,020 lb. (916 kg)! At about 21 in. (53 cm) long, the Kemp’s ridley and olive ridley sea turtles are the smallest species.
Q: Are they endangered?
SW: All sea turtle species face extinction and are protected by international law. Around the United States, green, leatherback, hawksbill, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Loggerheads are threatened.