"Turtles are extraordinary creatures. If you think they look pretty prehistoric, that's because they are! Turtles have been on Earth for over 100 million years and have changed little in that time. They have outlived almost all other prehistoric animals that they once shared planet Earth with, including the dinosaurs."

"Turtles that live in the sea are called marine turtles and range in size from the olive ridley turtle, which grows to about 75cm long, to the gigantic leatherback turtle, which can grow to 2m in length and weigh as much as a tonne – that's about the weight of 50 six year olds!"

"One thing that turtles all have in common is their shell. This rather bulky looking piece of body armour is actually pretty streamlined and light, and allows a turtle to glide easily through the water and keep afloat. Most turtle shells are made from pieces of flattened bone and horny plates – though the leatherback's is actually toughened skin!"

"Different types of marine turtles like to eat different food. For instance, green and hawksbill turtles like to eat sea-grass and sponges, whereas loggerhead and olive ridley turtles like to eat animals such as shrimps and barnacles. Turtles don't have any teeth, so each species has a jaw specially adapted to its diet."

"Although marine turtles live in water, they have lungs just like you, so they need to come to the surface of the water to breathe. However, they are much better adapted at holding their breath and can stay submerged for about three hours! Some species of turtle can also dive to extraordinary depths –over 1,500 metres – almost deeper than Ben Nevis is tall!"

"Turtles live and mate at sea, but every few years adult female turtles return to the beach where they themselves were born to lay eggs, which will become baby turtles. The female uses her back flippers to dig a hole in the soft sandy beach and deposits about 100 ping pong ball sized eggs, which will hatch some two months later."

"Unfortunately, marine turtles around the world are facing serious threats to their survival. The main threats are pollution and changes to their feeding and nesting areas, such as coral reefs, sea-grass beds and tropical beaches. Other threats include accidental drowning in fishing gear and people collecting turtle eggs to eat – the eggs are considered a delicacy in some countries."

"WWF is working to protect turtles around the world by engaging with local communities and encouraging them to become involved in conserving turtles and their nests. WWF also works with a partner organisation called TRAFFIC to stop the illegal trade in turtle meat and eggs and we are helping governments to encourage more turtle-friendly fishing practices."