Classified as vulnerable in NSW and nationally, Green Sea Turtles are threatened by:

• Harvesting of their eggs
• Hunting of adults
• Vessel strikes
• Being caught in nets, especially from commercial shrimp trawling
• Climate change 
• Loss of beach sites for nesting

Where do they live?

Green Sea Turtles are remarkable marine reptiles that spend almost their entire lives in the ocean, venturing onto land only when females nest. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters worldwide and are commonly seen in northern Australian seas, with occasional sightings along the New South Wales coast. 

Their life cycle is fascinating: after decades of slow growth - often 30 to 50 years - they reach sexual maturity and return to the same beach where they hatched, a behaviour known as natal homing. Nesting females use their powerful flippers to crawl up the beach and dig a chamber, lay around 100 eggs, and carefully cover them with sand. The eggs incubate for about 60 days, and minimal disturbance during this time is critical for survival. Females typically nest every two years.

What do they eat?

The Green Sea Turtle is not only one of the largest marine turtles but is also unique as it’s the only species that becomes completely herbivorous as an adult. While juveniles start life as carnivores, feeding on worms, crustaceans, and aquatic insects, their diet shifts dramatically as they mature. Adult Green Sea Turtles graze almost exclusively on seagrass and algae.

What do they look like?

Green Sea Turtles grow up to one metre in length and have a distinctive heart-shaped shell. Their shell is patterned in olive-green, brown, and black, with pale-edged scales on its face and limbs. It has a relatively small head and powerful front flippers. 

Despite its name, this turtle’s shell isn’t bright green – the name actually comes from the greenish hue of its body fat, a result of its herbivorous diet.

Like all reptiles, Green Sea Turtles breathe air using their lungs but unlike other reptiles these turtles can hold their breath underwater for up to five hours.

How can you support the species?

• Being a responsible pet owner: Keep pets indoors, especially at night. 
• Reporting foxes: If you see a fox, report it to FoxScan.
• Reporting dead or injured turtles to the nearest wildlife rescue group. On the Northern Beaches, that would be WIRES (1300 094 737) or Sydney Wildlife (9413 4300).
• Boating carefully: slow down and keep an eye out when boating and always adhere to speed limits.
• Fishing responsibly: be aware when casting your line and put rubbish and fishing line in the bin.
• Reporting your turtle sightings to species.sightings@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
• Join local clean ups: Participate in local clean up groups such as the Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew.

Fun facts

• Only three species of marine turtles are known to regularly occur in Sydney waters - the Green Sea Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle and the Leatherback Turtle.
• Green Sea Turtles nest in over 80 different countries.
• They can swim as far as 2,600km between different feeding grounds.
• The sex of their young is determined by the temperature of the nest sand! This is called temperature-dependent sex determination. Warmer temperatures of 29.1°C and above produce female turtles while cooler temperature produce males.