Green Sea Turtle

Imagine swimming in warm, sunny oceans! Green sea turtles live in tropical and subtropical waters all over the globe. They have two big homes: one in the Atlantic Ocean and another in the Pacific Ocean. You can also find them in the Indian Ocean. They love shallow areas where they can munch on yummy seagrass. It's like having a giant underwater salad bar!

Green sea turtles have a big, teardrop-shaped shell called a carapace. It's usually olive green or even black, but the name 'green sea turtle' comes from the greenish color of their fat underneath. This fat gets its color because they eat lots of seagrass!

They also have big, paddle-like flippers that help them swim super fast through the water. They are the only grown-up turtles that are vegetarians!

These turtles are amazing travelers! They swim long distances between their favorite places to eat and the beaches where they were born. When it's time to have babies, the mommies crawl out of the ocean onto sandy beaches at night. They dig a nest and lay lots of eggs. Later, tiny baby turtles hatch and make a dash for the sea. It's a race for survival!

Green sea turtles can live for a super long time, up to 90 years! That's longer than your grandparents and even great-grandparents! Sadly, these gentle giants need our help.

Sometimes they get caught in fishing nets or eat trash that pollutes their home. People also sometimes hunt them or take their eggs. We need to protect their beaches and oceans so they can keep swimming for many years to come.