The Sea Turtles of Belize

The waters of Belize are home to an abundance of wildlife, from the vibrant corals and unique fishes of the Belize Barrier Reef to lesser-seen but no less wondrous visitors from the open ocean. Among these marine denizens are three species of sea turtles found in Belize’s beaches, reefs, and waterways: the green sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, and loggerhead sea turtle.

Green Sea Turtles

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a frequent visitor to Belize’s coasts. Weighing in at up to 400 pounds (180 kg) and measuring 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 meters) in length, green sea turtles are the second-largest turtles in the world, after only the leatherback sea turtle.

A green sea turtle off the coast of Hawai’i. Image by Brocken Inaglory.

As their name suggests, green sea turtles are identified by their greenish coloration. This coloring comes from the species’ unique herbivorous diet, which consists of algae, sea grasses, and other marine plants. Green sea turtles mostly forage near coastlines, where their food is most plentiful. An adult green sea turtle can swim for over 50 miles (80 km) in a single day!

Green sea turtles are found in warm, tropical waters around the world. These turtles live in large groups together, with adults returning to the beaches from which they hatched to nest and lay eggs. Female green sea turtles lay clutches of up to 200 eggs before returning to the ocean. Newly hatched green sea turtles, weighing less than a single ounce (28 grams), are vulnerable to predators from both the sea and land, including birds, crabs, sharks, and even jaguars! As they age and grow, these turtles’ large size and hard shells make them increasingly resilient. Green sea turtles in the wild may live for up to 75 years.

Support Turtle Conservation in Belize at the Tobacco Caye Marine Station

Hawksbill Sea Turtles

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is the second turtle species found in Belize. These turtles are notable for their pointed, bird-like “beaks,” giving them the name “hawksbill,” and for their beautifully patterned shells, also known as tortoiseshell. Hawksbill shells were historically so widely sought after that the species was nearly hunted to extinction.

A hawksbill sea turtle, showing the intricate “tortoiseshell” pattern. Image by Philippe Bourjon.

Hawksbill sea turtles are smaller than green sea turtles, weighing up to 150 pounds (68 kg) with shells measuring 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 1 meters). They are also a tropical species, though unlike green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles are omnivorous, eating both plants and other organisms. A hawksbill turtle’s typical diet includes sea sponges, jellyfish, mollusks, and even corals!

Like many other sea turtle species, adult hawksbill turtles will return to the nesting grounds where they themselves hatched. Female hawksbill turtles lay clutches of up to 160 eggs at a time. Though their exact lifespan in the wild is unknown, hawksbill sea turtles are estimated to live up to 60 years.

Loggerhead Sea Turtles

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is the third of the three sea turtle species found in Belize’s waters. These turtles are identified by their large heads, giving them the name “loggerhead,” and their striking red- or orange-brown shells. These large turtles may weigh up to 350 pounds (160 kg), making them one of the world’s largest sea turtles.

A loggerhead sea turtle off the coast of Australia. Image by Sylke Rohrlach.

Unlike green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles, loggerhead turtles are mostly carnivorous, dining on the fish and invertebrates of the reefs they forage within. Though loggerhead turtles depend on shallow coastal waters for food, they can sometimes be found swimming in the open ocean hundreds of miles from the coasts, and have been known to migrate nearly 3100 miles (5000 km) between habitat ranges!

Like other sea turtles, loggerhead turtles return to coastal beaches to nest. Female loggerhead sea turtles will construct multiple nests and lay several clutches of eggs over their breeding season, which takes place mostly in the months of May, June, and July. Adult loggerhead sea turtles may live for over 60 years.

References and Further Reading

Green Turtles at NOAA Fisheries

Hawksbill Turtles at NOAA Fisheries

Loggerhead Turtles at US Fish & Wildlife Service

Duermit, L. 2007. "Caretta caretta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Caretta_caretta/

Hersh, K. 2016. "Chelonia mydas" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chelonia_mydas/