Turtle Activity

Discover the exciting world of sea turtles! Explore the different types of sea turtles found on Florida beaches, how they nest and hatch, and what YOU can do to help protect them!

Types of Sea Turtles

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Loggerhead sea turtles – the most common in Florida and the official state saltwater reptile – are reddish-brown and named for their large head. They are very large turtles which can grow to weigh as much as 350 pounds. They become mature when they are between 15 and 30 years old and continue to reproduce for many years. Loggerheads feed primarily on mollusks or shellfish such as clams or crabs and use their powerful jaw muscles to crush the shells of their prey. The southeastern United States is one of the most important nesting grounds in the world for these turtles. 

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Green turtles get their name from the color of their body fat. Their shell is brown with dark spots. Green turtles differ from other sea turtles because when they are young, they eat meat. But, when they become adults, they prefer plants and are the only adult sea turtles that eat sea grass and seaweed. This species usually lays about 2,600 nests each year on Florida’s sandy beaches.

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Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are the smallest and most endangered of all sea turtles. These olive-green turtles prefer blue crabs to eat, but they also eat jellyfish, clams and fish. They live primarily in the Gulf of Mexico but regularly travel as far north as Maine.

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Credit: (Image credit: NOAA)

Leatherback sea turtles are the largest of all. The largest leatherback, from its nose to the end of its carapace (shell), was nearly 10 feet long. Leatherbacks are easy to identify by their smooth shell which is dark brown to black and marked with pink, blue or white spots and blotches. Their diet consists of jellyfish. Leatherbacks’ scissor-like jaws help them slice their prey, and stiff, backwards-pointing spines in the mouth aid in swallowing. Females nest about 290 times each year in Florida.

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The hawksbill sea turtles are small-to-medium sized and get their name from their beaks, which looks like one on a hawk. Their shell, various shades of brown and tan, was used previously to make jewelry and trinkets. Because of this, they were hunted throughout the world, nearly to extinction. Hawksbills generally feed on sponges, an animal that attaches itself to the sea floor. Hawksbills often live in the Florida Keys waters and off the coast in other parts of Florida. They are very agile and have been known to climb over reefs and rocks to nest on beaches.

Nesting and Hatching

Duration:

2 minutes, 46 seconds

A story about how a mother sea turtle creates the next generation of baby sea turtles. Visual description of video: A uniformed National Park Service Ranger kneels at the base of a sea turtle nest. The background contains the Fort Matanzas beach and dunes.

Loggerhead Turtle Tracks

Turtle season in Florida is from March to October. This image was taken at Fort Matanzas (June 2020). The tracks indicate it was a loggerhead turtle. Park staff got right to work securing the nest and reporting the data. Loggerhead females crawl up the beach at night, meticulously select a spot, and use their flippers to dig a body pit and egg chamber. They then deposit their eggs in the chamber, cover them, and crawl back down the beach to the water. The process can take two hours or more.

Duration:

2 minutes, 37 seconds

Learn how sea turtles hatch. Visual description of video: A uniformed National Park Service Ranger kneels at the base of a sea turtle nest. The background contains the Fort Matanzas beach and dunes.

Protecting Turtles

Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before you leave the beach.

What Can You and Your Family Do to Protect Sea Turtles?

• Fill in holes and knock down sand castles before you leave the beach. They can become obstacles for nesting turtles or emerging hatchlings.
• Reduce marine debris that may entangle or be accidentally eaten by sea turtles.
• Participate in coastal clean-ups and reduce plastic use to keep our beaches and ocean clean. Trash in the ocean can harm sea turtles and other creatures that live there.
• Carry reusable water bottles and shopping bags. Refrain from releasing balloons, they'll likely end up in the ocean where sea turtles can mistake them for prey and consume them.
• Keep nesting beaches dark and safe for sea turtles. Turn off, shield, or redirect lights visible from the beach. Lights disorient hatchling sea turtles and discourage nesting females from coming onto the beach to lay their eggs.
• Do not disturb nesting turtles, nests, or hatchlings. Attend organized sea turtle watches that know how to safely observe nesting sea turtles.
• Remove beach equipment like chairs and umbrellas at night so sea turtles are not turned away.
• Remember, turtles have to come up to the surface for air, and they can be difficult to see. Boat strikes are a serious threat to sea turtles, so slow down and steer around them.
• If you see a sick or injured sea turtle, contact a ranger, deputy, or FWC's 24-hour Wildlife Alert at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).

Loggerhead Hatchling

This little loggerhead hatchling washed up on the Fort Matanzas beach (August 2020). He was very lethargic from struggling in the strong surf. Luckily a concerned visitor flagged down one of our law enforcement rangers patrolling the beach for assistance. Rangers immediately transported him to The Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Lab at Marineland, FL for the best success at making a full recovery.

Deceased Green Sea Turtle

This is a deceased green sea turtle discovered on the beach at Fort Matanzas (June 2020), with a large crack in its carapace (dorsal shell). It was most likely made by a boat propeller or the hull of a jet ski when it hit the turtle at high speed. Green sea turtles often swim in the Matanzas River, feeding on the aquatic plants that grow in the shallows.

Rangers Helping an Injured Green Sea Turtle

This juvenile green sea turtle swallowed a fisherman's hook which became lodged in her throat (June 2020). Fort Matanzas Rangers collected photos for Florida Fish and Wildlife and transported the turtle to The Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Lab where the hook was successfully removed. She was released back in the Atlantic Ocean.

Duration:

2 minutes, 5 seconds

What the NPS is doing and what YOU can do to help sea turtles. Visual description of video: A uniformed National Park Service Ranger kneels at the base of a sea turtle nest. The background contains the Fort Matanzas beach and dunes.

Craft Activity

Make Your Own Turtle

This turtle is easy to make. Play with it, use it as a wall decoration, wear it as a hat (add some ties to the edge of the shell), or make several for a turtle mobile.

Materials: A white paper plate, scissors, pencil, stapler, short piece of string, black waterproof pen or black marker, ruler, and green and brown (or your favorite colors) paint.

Step 1: Cut the rim off the paper plate, keeping the rim in one piece.

Step 2: Make a cut from the edge to the center of the plate, and overlap and staple the two edges together to make the turtle’s shell.

Step 3: Cut three 3 inch long pieces, and two 1.5 inch pieces from the rim.

Step 4: Trim the pieces to make two front flippers and a head, and two back flippers.

Step 5: Staple the head and flippers to the edges of the shell as shown. Use a waterproof pen or black marker to draw small scales on them, and give the head some eyes and nostrils.

Step 6: Paint the shell a greenish-brown color and the flippers and head brown (or use your favorite colors and be creative!).

Make a knot in one end of a short piece of string. Thread it through the center of the shell from underneath and tie a small loop in the top end. Have fun playing with your turtle.

Share With Us

With your parents' permission, take a picture of your turtle and share it with us on social media (@fortmatanzasnps)!

Next Up!

Become a Virtual Ranger at  Fort Matanzas and Castillo de San Marcos. 

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Take the virtual tour of Ft. Matanzas and Castillo.