Sea Turtles of the Southeast

Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles with streamlined bodies, relatively large flippers, and either hard or relatively soft shells.  They are well-adapted to life in the ocean.  They live in tropical oceans and even cooler waters near the poles.  Although sea turtles live most of their lives in the ocean, adult females must return to beaches to lay their eggs on land.  They often travel long distances between feeding grounds and nesting beaches.

There are 6 sea turtles species found in the United States.  Only 5 species are found in the Southeast Region: hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, leatherback, green, and loggerhead.  All sea turtles occurring in U.S. waters are listed under the Endangered Species Act.  NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have joint jurisdiction on sea turtles.  NOAA Fisheries is responsible for sea turtles in the ocean and U.S. Fish and Wildlife is responsible for sea turtles on land.