Marine turtles
About the species
Marine turtles have swum in the world’s oceans for more than 100 million years. Turtles live in the open water and coastal habitats of the seas and oceans around the world. Many species migrate for thousands of kilometres – and even across entire oceans – between feeding and nesting grounds.
Six of the seven species of marine turtles are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered.
All seven species of marine turtles are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), thus international trade is prohibited amongst the 166 CITES member nations
Unlike tortoises and freshwater turtles, marine turtles have flippers instead of legs. They are clawless and they cannot withdraw their heads into their shells.
Challenges and threats
Humans are the main threat to the survival of these animals.
Turtles spend most of their lives at sea, but lay their eggs on land. When the hatchlings are born, they rely on reflected moonlight on the water’s surface to guide them to the sea and safety. But as tourist development has encroached onto nesting beaches, the babies have become confused and have frequently headed towards the bright lights of discos and beach bars instead – where they are usually attacked by predators.
Many leatherbacks die from suffocation when they confuse the jellyfish they like to eat with floating plastic bags in the water.
The Kemp's ridley is now critically endangered because its population has declined due to human exploitation and because it gets trapped in shrimp nets. The species is particularly vulnerable because it nests on only one stretch of beach in Mexico. In the late 1940s more than 42,000 female Kemp's ridleys nested together in a single day; now, only around 900 make the same journey.
WWF in action
WWF runs public awareness campaigns in Greece and Turkey to save highly vulnerable nesting beaches from tourist hotel development.
WWF and the EU have enabled the Sea Turtle Protection Society in Greece to buy portions of beach land and keep it free from tourist development.
WWF has helped persuade the Turkish government to give priority to turtles rather than tourists on nesting beaches at Dalyan and Dafni, and has recommended protection measures for 20 more important sites.
WWF helps to prevent the illegal, but still significant, trade in tortoiseshell products for the tourist market around the world. WWF works in Gabon, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and elsewhere to fight this trade.
WWF also works on Brazil's Project Tamar, which began in 1980. Five species of sea turtle lay their eggs on Brazilian beaches but, in the past, almost all turtles coming ashore were killed. The project involves hiring poachers as turtle protectors. Each season around 300,000 baby turtles are released into the sea.
Related links
- Illegal wildlife trade
- More about marine turtles
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
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