Sea Turtle Life Cycle: 6 Stages

Sea turtles have lived here for over 250 million years, and archaeologists have found much evidence to support this. Turtles are cold-blooded animals and have a protective shell. The lower part of the shell is called the plastron.

• Sea turtles fall under the family Dermochelyidae and the family Cheloniidae.
• With a few exceptions, all sea turtle species follow the general life cycle of turtles.
• Their life cycle begins when a female lays her eggs on a nesting beach, which is usually in the tropics.
• The average lifespan of sea turtles ranges from 30 to over 100 years, depending on the species.
• These turtles are found all over the world and inhabit almost all climates.

• Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Kemp’s Ridley, Flatback, Leatherback, Loggerhead and Green Sea Turtle are seven species of sea turtles.

Key Terms: Sea Turtle Life Cycle, Sea Turtle, Eggs, Hatchling, Small juvenile State, Large Juvenile State, Mature Adult, Mating Season, Life Cycle of Sea Turtle

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Life Cycle of Sea Turtle

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The sea turtle life cycle is divided into six stages, which are as follows:

Stage 1 (the Eggs)

The first stage of the sea turtle life cycle is the laying of eggs by turtles. Sea turtles prefer to lay their eggs on beaches in warmer climates all around the world. The female sea turtle lays her eggs in a beach nest every two to four years after fertilization. 

• A female sea turtle can lay between 100 and 200 eggs. 
• She digs a hole in the beach and fills it with sand. 
• The time it takes for the eggs to hatch depends on the species. 
• Hatchlings emerge from the eggs after six weeks to two months. 
• Depending on the type of turtle, sea turtle eggs are cultivated in the sand for 45-50 days. 
• The temperature of the nest influences whether the baby animal is male or female during this time. 
• The egg tooth is used by baby sea turtles to crack the eggshell, emerge from the eggs, and join the water. 
• However, nearly all of these turtles never reach adulthood.

Sea Turtle Life Cycle

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Stage 2 (Hatchling)

Baby turtles and sea turtles hatch after 6 weeks to 2 months. When fully grown, baby sea turtles, also known as baby turtles, will pierce the shell and slowly dig out of the nest.

• After the baby sea turtles hatch, they are completely independent and do not need parental supervision.
• These hatchlings head out to sea at night so they are not seen by predators from the sky or the water.
• Most young animals cannot survive to thrive due to the many obstacles they face.
• During this time, they feed on small organisms found in floating algae.
• After a while, baby sea turtles move closer to the coast and settle there until they become adults.
• At this stage, baby sea turtles are constantly moving from sea to sea.
• This stage in a sea turtle's life can last up to 10 years.

Stage 3 (Small Juvenile State)

Another stage of the sea turtle life cycle is the small juvenile state. From the time these small turtles take their first swim in the sea until they return to the coastal waters, they are in a juvenile state. 

• At this stage, the studies are limited because it's difficult to track down the sea turtle's movements. 
• That's why this period is also called "Lost years". 
• As technology progresses, we are becoming more familiar with these years. 
• The turtles are clearly taking advantage of the electric current. 
• Once upon a time, migration was thought to be passive and involuntary. 
• There is evidence, however, that sea turtles actively navigate and swim. 
• According to recent research, sea turtles infer the Earth's magnetic field and use it as an accurate compass to navigate the waters.

Stage 4 (Large Juvenile State and Sub Adult State)

Some turtle species retreat to coastal locations after one to 10 years in the oceanic zone, where they forage and grow until adulthood. This procedure can last anything from a few years to several decades.

• It is estimated that only around 10% of turtles that hatch survive to adulthood.
• On the feeding grounds, these massive juvenile adults mature into subadults.
• The sea current will assist the turtles in reaching their feeding sites.
• These turtles will remain in a healthy eating area until they reach adulthood.
• The diet of sea turtles varies depending on their age and species.

Stage 5 (Mature Adult State)

At the foraging grounds, there is great abundance and variety of food available to the turtles but they also tend to host more predators. Thus, young turtles wait to enter these areas until they have attained a larger body size, which helps them avoid being eaten. 

• The turtle's species of green, hawksbill, and loggerhead probably move from oceanic to coastal habitats at about 10-15 years of age.
• Their diet is then tailored to the food items available in their selected environment.
• It may include seagrass beds, coral and rocky reefs, mangroves, and estuaries. 
• They'll only return to the deep ocean after that for migration and reproduction.

Sea Turtle

Stage 6 (Mating Season)

Mating season is the last stage of sea turtle life cycle. When the adult sea turtles reach sexual maturity and are able to mate ten to fifty years after hatching (depending on the species).

• They will migrate to beaches all around the world to lay their eggs once they reach sexual maturity.
• Male sea turtles migrate to mate and feed wherever they can.
• A female turtle, on the other hand, will store as many sperm as she can.
• This is due to the fact that more fertilized eggs result in more offspring, which means more survival.
• During ovulation, the female adult sea turtle has the ability to store sperm in the oviduct.
• Females will only come ashore to lay eggs in the same region where they were born.
• Over the course of their lives, most species will nest numerous times during a nesting season every 2-4 years.
• Then the entire life cycle begins again.

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Things to Remember

• Sea turtles live in warm oceanic habitats and are carnivorous by nature.
• Mother turtles will come ashore during the nesting season to dig a hole in the sand and lay eggs.
• Hatchling sea turtles break through their eggshells and slowly dig their way upward out of the nest after they are fully developed. 
• Due to numerous hurdles they confront, the majority of hatchlings do not survive to become adults.
• When they reach a larger body size, they will travel to the nearshore to continue foraging.
• Females will return to the same beach where they emerged as hatchlings within a few weeks.
• However, males will move back to food-rich locations to restore their energy.