Page 263 - The Virgin Islands

The Life Cycle of Sea Turtles

A t the start of the breeding season, sexually mature males and mating, the males depart, presumably to their foraging or feeding
females migrate hundreds or thousands of kilometers from grounds and the females move to adjacent sites in preparation for
their feeding grounds to congregate and mate in coastal waters nesting. In the internesting habitat, she ovulates and fertilizes the
very near their nesting sites. Marine turtles are polyandrous in na- eggs. The entire process of ovulation to oviposition takes about
ture, that is, there is no pair bonding between individuals. After two weeks.