Sea turtles lay about 100 eggs in each clutch. That might make you think that they have large families with lots of children to feed. So, do sea turtles live in groups?
Sea turtles do not live in groups. They are solitary animals that live alone all of their life. The only time sea turtles gather is during mating, feeding, and nesting. Sea turtles don’t stay with each other after mating. Hatchlings don’t meet their parents and siblings and don’t try looking for them.
This guide will go over everything you might be thinking about a sea turtle’s social life. We’ll talk about why and how they live alone and more.
Let’s dive in.
Do sea turtles live in groups?
As we have already discussed, sea turtles do not live in groups. They are solitary creatures and don’t interact with each other.
But, there are some times when they do. These exceptions are only for survival purposes and not for bonding.
Let’s go over some times when sea turtles do come together in groups.
1. Mating
Most sea turtle species only come together during mating season. Mating can be a dangerous activity for sea turtles.
After reaching maturity which can take 10-50 years, they will start to mate. When they have reached this stage, they will mate every year.
The male sea turtle will latch onto the back of the female sea turtle. Many male sea turtles will fight for the female sea turtle.
The process can take many hours. This can be difficult for the female sea turtles, as she has to support both of them and resurface for air.
Also, she has to prevent both the sea turtles from. This is harder when other male sea turtles are fighting for her as well as the male being heavier than her.
After mating is finished, the male will stay on the females back for a few more hours. This is to stop other males from mating with her.
Once they have separated, they will mate with other sea turtles. A female sea turtle will continue to mate with other males until all her eggs are fertilized.
This process can take many months to complete. Since sea turtles lay many eggs, it takes a while for all of them to be fully fertilized and ready for laying.
2. Nesting
The olive and Kemp’s ridley have an interesting way of nesting. They do what is called an arribada or arrival in Spanish.
They arrive in large numbers and emerge during the day which is unusual for most sea turtle species. This is a massive synchronized event that researchers are still studying.
Other species nest at night and alone. There are many organized events scheduled around this time so you can go see the arribadas.
Sea turtles begin laying eggs at 10 to 50 years old. This is when the eggs are ready to be laid and incubated before hatching.
They will then lay their eggs in the summer months. They lay their eggs at night to avoid predators.
Sea turtles will lay 2-6 eggs each season. These clutches can have up to 180 eggs, but not all of them will survive.
Female sea turtles will go alone when nesting. The hatchlings will not recognize their parents once they reach the ocean. They will also not look for them.
Sea turtles will lay up to 1300 clutches per season. They will then stop laying eggs at the beginning of the fall.
3. Hatching
Once the eggs have incubated, the hatchlings will start to break through. They have a specialized tooth called a caruncle that breaks the egg open.
They will dig out of the sand together. This requires all of them and can take many days to complete so they can go into the ocean.
Afterward, they will crawl out of the nest and run to the ocean as a group. They don’t separate until they make it into the ocean and swim away, where they enter their lost years.
Once they enter the ocean, they usually don’t resurface for up to 3 years. Not much is known about this time as they disappear and are difficult to track.
But, most of the hatchlings won’t make it to the ocean. There are predators, humans, and more putting them at risk. only 1 out of 1,000 hatchlings will make it, which means many nests won’t make it together.
Sea turtles hatch in the months of summer and emerge at night. Temperature and predation affect these decisions.
Sea turtles also have an incubation period averaging around 45 to 70 days. Around 1300 clutches can be laid each season.
There are many places where you can watch the turtles nesting and hatching. If you visit, make sure to follow the rules and keep the turtles safe.
4. Feeding
Green sea turtles often come together in large groups to forage for food. They eat abundant sources of seaweed and algae in shallow waters.
Green sea turtles are the only sea turtle species known to do this. It’s unknown why, but it might be for protection against predators.
This is the only time that green sea turtles meet in groups other than mating. Green sea turtles don’t participate in arribadas.
Sea turtles have a varied diet, eating whatever they come across. They eat a broad range of foods like plants, crustaceans, and jellyfish.
Each species of sea turtle has its own diet, suited to its environment and availability. Many are specialists, like the hawksbill that eats only sea sponges.
Hatchlings often have a different diet to help them grow and mature. This includes eating other animals for protein.
Turtles do still need to consume water as a part of their diets. They need to excrete the additional salt by crying.
Don’t feed a sea turtle if you encounter one. This can make it dependent on humans for food and harm their health.
5. Migration
Often, sea turtles will migrate in mass groups for nesting and feeding. Traveling in a large group provides protection against predators.
Sea turtles migrate thousands of miles during nesting season. They often travel to warmer, subtropical waters. These trips can take years to complete.
Both male and female sea turtles will migrate. They will swim back to the beaches where they were born. This is because they are familiar with these beaches.
Species like the hawksbill stay in the same area for their entire life. Others travel long distances, like the leatherback turtle which travels up to 10,000 miles every year.
Leatherbacks do this to find plentiful sources of jellyfish and crabs. They also find foraging grounds for other sources of food.
Atlantic leatherbacks migrate from the Caribbean to Nova Scotia, Canada to find giant jellyfish. This is because there is a large number of these jellyfish, which is a great source of food for the sea turtle
This is important as they need to build up lots of fat for migration. This requires a lot of energy which they save as much of as possible.
Sea turtles also rely on the ocean’s currents to drift along the oceans to save energy. These journeys can last for years and require a lot of power.
In Conclusion
Sea turtles are solitary creatures and do not live in groups. They do not have families or friends and prefer to be alone.
Although they are alone most of the time, sometimes to do come together. This includes mating, feeding, and migration.
Many species have their own special gathering as a species. Green sea turtles like to feed together, and olive ridleys like to nest together.
There are many reasons why they do this, but they are extraordinary events. There are many arranged gatherings that are safe where you can go see these amazing events.
