Loggerhead sea turtles

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is widely known in Türkiye by its scientific name, "Caretta caretta". It is recognisable by its reddish-brown shell and the large head that gives it its name. Powerful jaw muscles let it crush hard-shelled prey.

Where does it live?

It lives in temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and in the Mediterranean. In Türkiye, Dalyan (İztuzu), Patara, Fethiye, Belek, Çıralı and other Mediterranean and Aegean beaches are important nesting sites.

What does it eat?

It is a carnivore that eats crabs, mussels, sea snails, jellyfish and other invertebrates. Young turtles feed on small animals floating in the open sea.

Behaviour and life

Loggerheads make long migrations across oceans over many years. Females reach breeding age only after many years and usually return to beaches in the region where they hatched to lay their eggs. Nesting happens at night: the female crawls onto the beach, digs a pit in the sand, lays her eggs, covers them and returns to the sea.

Hatchlings

A nest usually holds around a hundred eggs. Sand temperature affects the sex of the hatchlings: warmer sand produces more females and cooler sand more males. After about two months the hatchlings emerge, usually at night, and head for the brighter horizon over the sea. Only a small fraction of hatchlings survive to adulthood.

Conservation status

The loggerhead is listed as Vulnerable (VU) globally on the IUCN Red List. Coastal development, light pollution on beaches (which disorients hatchlings), entanglement in fishing nets, plastic waste and climate change are the main threats. Many nesting beaches in Türkiye are protected.

Fun facts

• A female may nest several times in one breeding season.
• Swallowing plastic bags mistaken for jellyfish is a serious danger for sea turtles.
• Loggerheads are thought to use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate.