Awesome Facts About The Oldest Sea Turtle In The World

Turtles are known amongst the world as one of the oldest living creatures on the planet, and they can reach ages incomparable to various animal species. They have been around on this planet for over 100 million years, and if we're talking about longevity, almost all entire species on the planet pales in comparison to them.

Another interesting fact about turtles is that they are one of four species adapted to live in the sea. As you already know, some turtles prefer land, turtles who thrive in the ocean, and turtles that live in both. So if you're wondering what the awesome facts about the oldest sea turtle in the world are, say no more! We got you covered. Read further down below if you want to learn more!

A Deeper Dive Into Sea Turtles

Before we discuss the awesome facts about the oldest sea turtle in the world, let us learn first and dive deeper into what sea turtles are. Sea turtles can easily be differentiated from other turtles and tortoises because of their flippers and the shape of their shells. Their shells are tapered on both ends, so they can't use their shells for protection as they can't retract their heads back inside.

There are around seven sea turtles today, flatback, loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley, and leatherbacks. There's an extensive population across the globe and are mainly found in every ocean except the polar regions as they can't handle the extremely low temperature associated with it.

Sea turtles are omnivores and have a diverse set diet consisting of seaweeds, squids, barnacles, and species of jellyfish. They're good at foraging for food and can dive down deeper for around 40 minutes at a time. Almost all sea turtles spend their lives at sea, and only the women come back to land to lay their eggs. They have been known to lay their eggs during nighttime, dig a hole, and once all eggs are delivered, they cover it with sand, and off they go.

How Long Do Turtles Live?

As we mentioned a while back, they are known as one of the oldest living creatures on the planet. They have been in use for a hundred million years already. However, each species of turtle has a different lifespan. A sea turtle can live around 30 to 80 years old on average. Still, it can be quite difficult to detect when we talk about their lifespan as there is no known reliable method of knowing them.

Furthermore, the longest living species of turtles are the flatbacks, loggerheads, and green sea turtles, as they are capable of living life up to 80 years on average. On the other hand, small species of sea turtles such as Kemp's ridley are around 30 years. Leatherbacks, one of the largest species of turtles, are known to live around 50 years of age. However, there is still a lot that we don't know about these creatures as they aren't as studied as other creatures in terms of their longevity.

The Oldest Sea Turtle In The World 

While the evidence isn't as conclusive as other species regarding longevity, there are several takes on whether what turtle was the oldest ever recorded. Some speculate that the oldest sea turtle was likely to be around 100 years old as it washed ashore off the coast of the United Kingdom. There were also claims that the oldest sea turtle ever recorded is a green sea turtle named Myrtle – and it is thought to be over 90 years old. However, people and organizations also tell the world that some sea turtles can go well beyond the century mark.

Several websites also claim that the oldest living sea turtle was recorded in Guangzhou in China. It was estimated that the oldest turtle found there was around 400 years old as it lived in captivity in a large aquarium.

Awesome Facts About Sea Turtles

Contrary to popular belief, sea turtles can't come out of their shells like the hermit crabs. Sea turtles are born with their shells already in there. They grow with it and go larger as they mature.

Sea turtles have a diverse set of diets, some turtles are mainly carnivores, and some are herbivores, while others are a combination of both. However, when baby turtles hatch, they are carnivores as they primarily feed on meat during the first stages of their lives and will soon transition into becoming more of a herbivore.

Unfortunately, almost half the species of turtles and tortoises are endangered. As of the moment, there are around 130 species of turtles that are endangered out of 300 species. Their primary threat to survival includes bycatching, pollution, habitat loss, and the illegal pet trade.

As their name suggests, green sea turtles are green because of what they eat! They primarily feed on algae and seagrasses. It is why their cartilage and fat have greenish color in them, hence, the name.

Did you know that the temperature of the sand affects the sexes of turtle eggs when they hatch? When the temperature of the sand is quite warm or hot, it produces more female hatchlings, whereas a colder temperature produces more male hatchlings. However, if the temperature varies, it will produce a little bit of both.

Conclusion

There's no denying that sea turtles are one of the oldest living sea creatures on the planet. They have lived long enough to witness some of the world's greatest changes and even the dinosaurs. However, they are still susceptible to various changes that affect their population, and some of these changes can be attributed to how people do their business.

Some of the reasons why oldest sea turtle numbers have been on the decline over the years are a human intervention that leads to habitat loss and pollution. Fortunately, there is still a lot of time left for their population to stabilize and further conserve these precious beings and the other marine system. Let's hope and pray all hope is not lost, and we should always go the extra mile in helping this cute little creature in the future.

Join us in starting that extra mile of saving the sea turtle and all of the marine life by supporting us here at Atolea Jewelry.

From every purchase you make from our Ocean-inspired jewelry, part of it goes to Ocean conversation charities that are working hard to give a better future for the marine lives.

So dive into our collection now and start wearing meaningful jewelry from the Ocean!