Green turtles and Hawksbill turtles are the most commonly encountered in the Andaman Sea.
​The green turtle is one of the largest sea turtles and weight on average 80 to 130 kg. Its carapace, made of fused ribs, measures on average 115 cm, but the largest ones can reach a weight of 300 kg for a carapace length of 1,5 m.
Sea turtles are cold blooded animals, belonging to the classification of reptiles, just like snakes, crocodiles or dinausaures!
​The green turtle is one of the largest sea turtles and weight on average 80 to 130 kg. Its carapace, made of fused ribs, measures on average 115 cm, but the largest ones can reach a weight of 300 kg for a carapace length of 1,5 m.
Sea turtles are cold blooded animals, belonging to the classification of reptiles, just like snakes, crocodiles or dinausaures!
Frequently asked questions about Green Turtles
1. How to differentiate green turtles from hawksbill turtles?
2. What do green turtles eat?
3. Where can you see green turtles?
4. Can green turtle breath underwater?
5. Can you tell male and female green turtle appart?
6. What do we know about green turtles reproductions?
2. What do green turtles eat?
3. Where can you see green turtles?
4. Can green turtle breath underwater?
5. Can you tell male and female green turtle appart?
6. What do we know about green turtles reproductions?
How to differentiate green turtles from hawksbill turtles?
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- recognize their face-
Their faces are the easiest way to differentiate green from hawksbill turtles: green turtles have a much rounder face and do not have the same beak that characterise hawksbill turtles. 
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Green turtle VS Hawksbill turtle infographic
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- recognize their carapace -
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Their colour does not easily tell them appart, the green turtle is called this way because of the colour of its flesh but its shell can be black, brown or green.
Green Turtle's Carapace Comes In Many Colours and Delightful Patterns
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The edge of their carapace however can tell them appart: the greens have a smooth edge while the hawkbill is more serrated with a saw-like edge.
Green Turtles Have Smooth Edged Carapaces
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Young green turtles are mainly carnivorous, consuming small invertebrates and fish eggs. As it grows, it becomes vegetarian and mostly feeds on seagrass. It is believed that its diet is what gives a greenish colour to its flesh.
​ Their herbivorous diet distinguishes this species from other sea turtles. Hawksbills usually hang out in coral reefs where they feed mostly on sponges. Leatherback turtles are the long distance travelers, being pelagic, they feed exclusively on jellyfish or invertebrates that float offshore. |
Adult Green Turtle Grazing on Seagrass
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The green turtle is present in tropical and temperate waters of all oceans, but can be rare in some regions. It prefers shallow, eelgrass-rich waters (an aquatic flowering plant that occurs on the sandy or sandy seashores).
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Despite the fact they spend their whole life in the ocean, like all other reptiles, sea turtle need air to breath. But they can hold their breath up to 5 hours and it is not uncommon to see a turtle sleeping underwater during this time.
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It is difficult to tell males from female appart when they are young but as they mature, male's tail develop and get much bigger than their female counterparts. This photo shows a friendly adult male green turtle who lives and is often sighted in theSimilan islands.
​ While females return to the beach to lay eggs, males green sea turtles are never going back on land. |
Adult males green turtles have a much longer tail than the females
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The green turtle reaches sexual maturity after 20 to 50 years!
Males can mate every year but females only mate every 3 to 4 years. ​ When ready, Green turtle females usually mate with several males before heading to their birth place to lay up to 200 eggs on a quiet night. Mamma green turtle will return to the area where she was born to nest, no matter how far it is but before coming out of the water the place must be quiet and unlit. |
Green Turtle Mamma Ready to Lay Her Eggs on the Quiet Beach She Was Borned On!
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Babies hatch after a 6 to 7 weeks incubation and have the fend for themselves without ever meeting their parents. Only one in a thousand will reach adulthood.​
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Green turtles never meet their parents and
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3 Green turtles Fun facts for the road!
1- the sex of the turtle comes from the temperature of the nest. Warmer nest will give more female hatchlings, colder nest will deliver more males!
2- Scientists have demonstrated in lab generated magnetic fields that sea turtles have the ability to detect the Earth's magnetic field and use it as an orientation cue.
3- Green Turtles can cry! Crying doesn't happen when they are sad but help them to clear their eyes from salt build-ups.
1- the sex of the turtle comes from the temperature of the nest. Warmer nest will give more female hatchlings, colder nest will deliver more males!
2- Scientists have demonstrated in lab generated magnetic fields that sea turtles have the ability to detect the Earth's magnetic field and use it as an orientation cue.
3- Green Turtles can cry! Crying doesn't happen when they are sad but help them to clear their eyes from salt build-ups.
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Reed too...
While critically endangered, The Hawksbill Turtles are the most frequently encountered turtles on our cruises, today let's learn about hawk-billed turtle or Eretmochelys imbricata...
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