Green Sea Turtle
(Male)
Where to Look
- Shallow waters throughout the archipelago.
Similar Galapagos Species
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
(Anas bahamensis)
Identification
Seperated from much less common Hawksbill Sea Turtle by reletively smoothe (not serated) shell edge, blund ‘beak’ and non-overlapping carrapece shields.
Description
Two morphs of this species – a black morph and a yellow morph – co-exist in the Galapagos. Black-morph turtles are generally larger than yellow-morph turtles and are the only ones that actually breed in the Galapagos. While the visitting yellow-morph turtles have an orangish brown shell, the black-morph turtles have a dark olive green shell. Sexes are similar, but males have longer, thicker tails (females’ tails are often not apparent). Younger Green Sea Turtles resemble adults, but have more defined carrapace sheilds and a fairly serated shell edges. The largest females are significantly larger than the largest males.
Galapagos Distribution
Found across the Galapagos Marine Reserve and easily observed in shallow waters throughout the archipelago.
Global Distribution
Found throughout the world’s tropical and sub-tropical oceans.
Status in the Galapagos
Common to abuntant year round visitor and resident.