Sea turtles have inhabited Earth’s oceans for over 100 million years, surviving predators, storms, and shifting climates.
Yet today, more than ever, human activity threatens these ancient mariners, including impacts on the remarkable longevity that enables their survival.
The life span of sea turtles varies by species, but many can live between 50-100 years or more. What allows for such extended life spans spanning well over a century?
In this blog post, we’ll cover the critical stages of the sea turtle life cycle and explore how natural and anthropogenic factors affect the variable life expectancies across different turtle species.
Understanding what enables and inhibits sea turtle longevity provides critical insights into how we can better protect these time-tested reptiles.
Sea Turtle Life Stages
What do sea turtles eat?
Sea turtles are omnivores and eat a variety of plants and animals. Hatchlings start by eating plankton, algae, jellyfish, and other soft-bodied organisms. As they mature, they may eat seagrasses, algae, sponges, shrimp, crabs, mollusks, and even small fish, depending on the species.
Egg/Hatchling
Female sea turtles come ashore to sandy beaches to dig nests and lay eggs during the breeding season. Females may nest multiple times in the same season, laying around 100 eggs per nest. The eggs incubate under the sand for 50-60 days, depending on the species.
When ready, hatchlings break out of their shells underneath the sand and dig their way to the surface, which takes 1-7 days.
They then scramble to the sea while trying to avoid predators like birds, crabs, and even wild dogs. Less than 1% of hatchlings survive the journey to adulthood because of the immense predation pressures.
Juvenile
After entering the ocean, juvenile sea turtles spend time drifting and feeding in the open ocean, where they are still vulnerable to predation. The duration of the oceanic stage depends on the species but can range from a few years to over a decade before they return to coastal feeding grounds.
Adult
Sea turtles reach sexual maturity between 10 and 50 years, depending on the species. Once mature, adult females return to sandy beaches to nest every 2-4 years.
Males almost never leave the ocean. Major threats that decrease sea turtle lifespan include fishing gear entanglement, pollution and ingestion of marine debris, destruction of nesting beaches from coastal development, disorientation of hatchlings from artificial lighting, and human poaching of eggs and adults.
Factors Impacting Life Span
Natural Threats
Sea turtles face predation during all life stages. Sharks and large fish prey on hatchlings and juveniles. Hurricanes and storms can destroy eggs and nests or displace hatchlings. Cold weather can also negatively impact incubation.
Human Threats
The most significant threats to sea turtles’ lifespan come from humans. Entanglement in fishing lines or ingestion of plastic leads to injury and death. Boat strikes are also joint. Climate change alters sand temperatures on nesting beaches or increases erosion. Beachfront development destroys nesting habitat and disorients hatchlings.
Conservation Efforts
Several conservation efforts aim to improve sea turtle lifespans. The beach habitat is protected and regulated for nesting season. Hatchling releases and enforcement of lighting ordinances help guide hatchlings. Rehabilitation programs treat and release injured turtles. Fishing regulation helps reduce entanglements.
Life Span Variances
Sea turtles can live between 20 and 30 years, but lifespan depends significantly on the species and whether they survive the immense threats, especially in early life stages.
Leatherbacks live 60-70 years. Kemp’s ridleys reach 30-50 years. Green and loggerheads 50-80 years are more common. With conservation, their lifespans stand to increase.
How long do sea turtles live?
Sea turtles can live 50 to 100 years on average, but longevity depends on species and threats faced. The oldest known sea turtle was an 88-year-old Mediterranean green turtle. With conservation, sea turtles could reach even greater ages. Still, hunting, marine debris, and habitat loss reduce life expectancy. Protection is key.
Read the more information: How Long Is A Sea Turtle? Size And Growth Patterns Of Sea Turtles
How long are turtles pregnant?
Sea turtles have an exceptionally long gestation period compared to other reptiles. They carry their eggs internally for 2-4 months before laying them on the beach to hatch. Leatherbacks have the shortest pregnancy at 2-3 months.
Meanwhile, loggerheads incubate their eggs for the longest time—up to 4 months. After mating in the ocean, female sea turtles store sperm and fertilize their eggs during this months-long pregnancy.
The embryos then develop entirely inside the mother turtle’s body before she comes ashore to dig a nest and start the egg incubation period external to her body. So sea turtles endure among the most protracted pregnancies for their species class.
General Life Cycle of Sea Turtles
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Mating | – Eggs are fertilized inside the female’s body – 2-4 month pregnancy before laying |
| Gestation | – Females return to beaches to dig nests in the sand – Lay eggs above the high tide line |
| Nesting | – After 45-60 days, eggs hatch – Hatchlings emerge and swim to sea rapidly |
| Hatching | – Between 10-50 years, they reach sexual maturity – Return to breed at natal beaches when ready |
| Lost Years | – Juveniles live in offshore habitats for 1-10 years – Feed and mature away from land |
| Maturation | – Between 10-50 years they reach sexual maturity – Return to breed at natal beaches when ready |
| Migration | – Mature adults swim long distances to nesting and feeding sites – Cyclical pattern spanning lifespan |
I have structured an overview of the critical stages in a sea turtle’s life, from mating through maturation and migration, in a table format. Please let me know if you would like me to modify or add any details!
Conclusion
The lifespan of sea turtles can vary greatly, mainly due to threats from human activities. Sea turtles face dangers like marine debris, fishing bycatch, habitat destruction, hunting for shells and eggs, climate change, and pollution – all exacerbated by human actions.
These anthropogenic impacts mean turtles often die young without conservation efforts, unable to reach their full longevity potential of 80-100 years or more.
Protecting long sea turtle life expectancy matters because the species requires so many years to even be able to reproduce.
Additionally, longer-living individuals contribute disproportionately to genetic diversity. If turtles only live to adolescence, they cannot breed and pass on adaptive traits to new generations.
That’s why supporting the longevity of sea turtles is crucial. Each one of us must be aware of how our policy choices and daily actions – such as reducing plastic use, respecting protected habitats, and following fishing regulations – can aid sea turtle conservation.
We owe these ancient mariners assistance in navigating modern human-dominated seas so future generations of sea turtles can live their most extended lifespans swimming through cleaner, safer oceans.
