Page 259 - The Virgin Islands

Sea Turtles Are Magnificent Creatures

S ea turtles are generally found in the waters which is herbivorous. Some species feed on cer-
over continental shelves. During the first tain prey; sea sponges are the principal food of
three to five years of life, sea turtles spend most hawksbill sea turtles, constituting 70–95% of

time in the pelagic zone floating in seaweed their diets in the Caribbean. Leatherback sea tur-

beds. Once the sea turtle has reached adulthood tles feed almost exclusively on jellyfish.

it moves closer to the shore. Females will come The loggerhead has a greater list of known
ashore to lay their eggs on sandy beaches during prey than any other sea turtle. Other food
the nesting season.

Sea turtles are almost always submerged, items include sponges, corals, sea pens, poly-
and, therefore, have developed an anaero- chaete worms, sea anemones, cephalopods, bar-
nacles, brachiopods, isopods, insects, bryozoans,

bic system of energy metabolism. Although all sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, star-

sea turtles breathe air, under dire circumstances fish, fish (eggs, juveniles, and adults), hatchling

they may divert to anaerobic metabolism for turtles (including members of its own species),

long periods of time. When surfacing to breathe, algae, and vascular plants. Other common prey

a sea turtle can quickly refill its lungs with a sin- items include tunicates, bivalves, shrimp, crabs

gle explosive exhalation and rapid inhalation. and rock lobsters.

Their large lungs have adapted to permit rapid
Dexchange of oxygen and to avoid trapping gases
uring migration through the open sea, log-
during deep dives. gerheads eat jellyfish, floating molluscs,

Sea turtles feed on a wide range of animals floating egg clusters, squid, and flying fish. Ani-
and plants. They are mostly omnivorous mal prey consists of protochordates or inverte-
brates, which can be caught in shallow marine

in their adult life, except the green sea turtle waters or estuarine habitats.