Green sea turtle

Photo: Guada · CC BY-NC

A large, air-breathing reptile that returns to the same nesting beaches generation after generation. Divers encounter green sea turtles resting under coral ledges, cruising reef edges, or feeding on algae and seagrass. They are often habituated to slow-moving divers at popular sites. Their slow growth rate — taking 20–50 years to reach sexual maturity — means that even small levels of adult mortality have outsized population impacts. Endangered globally but recovering in regions with strong nesting beach protection.