Learning About: Sea Turtles

I promised to post the rest of our little getaway adventures- but I guess I lied, cause I have been so inspired by the awesome sea turtles we saw that I just had to go ahead and post this instead! You don't have to be homeschoolers, or even have kids to be interested in learning more about these beautiful beings.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Living on the coast - during Sea Turtle nesting season renders the perfect

opportunity for us to do a Sea Turtle study. Although,  you need not live at the beach to enjoy

the study of these graceful creatures- just have a spirit of adventure & a desire to learn &

join in on the fun!  (feel free to copy and use any of my pictures and information for your

personal homeschool or study with your children). I added links below for more fun!

Loggerhead:

Did you know that loggerhead sea turtles have very powerful jaws? Their jaw muscles are so

strong that they are able to crush conch shells, and even crabs! It is the mainstay of their diet.

They weigh between 250 to 350 lbs.

 

Green Sea Turtle



Green:

Do you know where the green sea turtle gets its name? It's from the color of its body fat!

Can you guess why its body fat would have a greenish tint? It eats algae and sea grass!

They weigh between 300 to 400 lbs.

Hawksbill Sea Turtles



Hawksbill:

Did you know that the hawksbill sea turtle can eat poisonous sponges that would be toxic to

other species? It is the thing they love to eat the most- sponges!

They weigh between 100 to 150 lbs.

 

Leatherback Sea Turtle

(this is the only sea turtle picture I did not take personally-

it comes from Animal Planet- endangered species)

Leatherback:

How long do you think a leatherback can hold its breath? More than an hour! They can dive over

3,500 feet deep. They eat jellyfish.

They weigh between 550 to 1,700 lbs.

*if you click on the sea turtle pictures - you will be directed to various sites with detailed

information about the particular species of sea turtles listed.

Printables: 

 Parts of the Turtle - designed by Angi Brown

Sea Turtle Word Search- by Beverly Hernandez/About.com 

Sea Turtle Vocabulary- by Beverly Hernandez/About.com

Sea Turtle Color Sheet- by Tiffany Falcão/ About.com

Loggerhead and Leatherback color sheets- by First Palette.com

Save the Sea Turtle- Ways You Can Help:

1. Be careful when digging at the beach- if you are visiting a beach area

be aware that the sea turtles nest between March 1 - October 31 and

look out for marks in the sand or nests that have been marked off:

2. Most nests are about 18 inches below the surface- make sandcastles

below the surf - or high tide lines to avoid unmarked nests. Be extra careful

with umbrellas as well.

3. Don't leave beach furniture out at night!

4. Turn the lights OUT! This is critical for new hatchlings who will

unknowingly head toward the light instead of out to sea. The lights from

beach houses and condos- and even distant "city lights" can mimic the moon

shining on the water. The tiny turtles become lost and are eaten by predators or tangled up on land.

5.  Get rid of trash! One of the most important things we can do is to clean up after ourselves.

The plastic wrappers and bags we use so often can look like jelly fish or can entangle an unsuspecting

turtle causing injury or death.

6. Never disturb or interfere with the nesting or hatching process.

7. Get involved with local organizations and Sea Turtle patrols if you live in a coastal community!

Sea Turtles are endangered. Most of them are on the critical list. Educating yourself and your family

about these docile creatures is a great place to start in making a difference!