Green Sea Turtle

Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC

Green turtles seek shelter beneath Inner Arch's widest overhangs during strong tidal flow, resting motionless on sandy ledges in postures that allow them to extend their neck toward the surface to breathe without fully emerging from the structure. The Bazaruto population is one of the most studied in southern Africa, with satellite tags revealing that females feeding in the lagoon's seagrass meadows travel to nesting beaches on the outer islands between November and January. Their role as seagrass grazers within the lagoon helps maintain meadow health by stimulating regrowth and preventing canopy shading — a positive feedback that supports the dugong population sharing the same meadows.