Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Young loggerheads spend the first several months of their lives at sea where they live in the floating sargassum weed. Young loggerheads may be found on our beaches, among mats of sargassum washed ashore after a winter storm.
- In 1990, a loggerhead nest was discovered on one of our East End beaches. It was the first recorded sea turtle nest in Bermuda since the early 1930s. (Sea turtles only reside on our island during their youth and do not generally nest here)
- The diet of these powerful sea turtles consists of crabs, shellfish, shrimp, sea urchins, squid and jellyfish. Loggerheads occasionally dine on the very thick-shelled conch, proof positive of their strength
- Loggerheads, usually a ruddy-brown colour, can weigh 159KG / 350LBS
- The species is threatened worldwide by accidental capture in the nets of commercial fisherman, long liners and shrimp trawlers
Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
The world's largest living reptile, weighing in at 910KG / 2,006LBS, the leatherback lives in the open ocean and is a great traveller - rare for sea turtles. You may happen to see this turtle offshore as it passes by during its oceanic voyages.
- Perfectly adapted for deep diving, this mysterious turtle's shell is rather narrow and features vertically parallel ridges, which help streamline the turtle and minimize water resistance
- The leatherback is capable of diving to 1,000M / 3,280FT and can maintain a body temperature of up to 10° above the water temperature. This helps the turtle adapt remarkably well to both warm waters, such as those surrounding our island, and frigid waters, such as those off Newfoundland and Iceland
- This animal attains its enormous size and weight by feeding almost exclusively on jellyfish
