Australian Species

Six of the seven species of the world's marine turtles are found in Australia, all six can be seen in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Family DERMOCHELYDIDAE

Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is listed as Vulnerable. The largest sea turtle weighs a whopping 750kg and can reach 1.75mtres in length. It has a leathery white-spotted black carapace with white topped ridges. The leatherback is thought to be the deepest diving turtle, having been recorded at 1000m. It eats jellyfish.

Family CHELONIIDAE

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)- listed as endangered. The loggerhead is slightly smaller than the green turtle and has a red-brown carapace. It nests in the southern Great Barrier Reef - most commonly islands of the Swain Reefs, islands of the Capricorn-Bunker Group and the mainland around Bundaberg. The Loggerhead turtle has a comparatively large head and it uses its thick jaws to crush shellfish and crustaceans.

Green Turtle Photo: GBRMPA

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) listed as vulnerable. This commonly seen turtle is about 1m in length and weighs 150 kg or more. It has a small head and a dark green-brown carapace. It is a vegetarian and eats algae and seagrass. It is a food source for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders.

Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) listed as vulnerable. The Hawksbill's has the classic thick overlapping scales, 'tortoiseshell' carapace wanted for domestic products. Thankfully, international trade in turtle products is now prohibited. It grows to 90cm in length and nests on the islands of the northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Straits. Its flesh is not widely eaten. It has a beak like mouth with which it searches for food among corals and eats algae and sponges.

Olive (Pacific) Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is listed as endangered. The smallest sea turtle, weighing in at only 50kg and less than a metre long, the Olive Ridley Turtle is not commonly seen and nests in low numbers along the Gulf coast of Queensland. It eats shellfish and crustaceans.

Flatback turtle (Natator depressus), is listed as vunerable. This is the only Australian turtle that breeds solely in Australian waters. It prefers to live in soft-bottomed habitats away from reefs and nests on islands along the length of the Great Barrier Reef. It eats seapens, sea cucumbers and soft corals.