The complete life cycle of a sea turtle - documentary

Summary

Deep Blue Discovery explores the remarkable life cycle of sea turtles, from their perilous journey from nest to sea as hatchlings to their adulthood, spanning a century. The video captures their struggles with predators, pollution, and human interference. It highlights their navigational prowess using Earth's magnetic field and the importance of conservation efforts for these endangered species.

Takeaways

• 🐢 Sea turtles have been on Earth for 110 million years and use the Earth's magnetic field for navigation.
• 🌐 They have an average lifespan of a century and can travel vast distances across the globe.
• 🐣 The life cycle of sea turtles begins with a perilous journey from the nest to the sea, facing predators like seabirds and crabs.
• 🌱 Baby sea turtles, or hatchlings, are born with a special egg-breaking tooth called a 'currancle' to aid in hatching.
• 🌊 Only one in a thousand sea turtles survives to adulthood, highlighting the many dangers they face.
• 🌍 Sea turtles are found on beaches all over the world, from Kenya to Zanzibar and Australia.
• 🚫 Human interference, such as touching the turtles, can negatively impact their survival chances.
• 🌾 Pollution, including human waste and abandoned fishing gear, poses a significant threat to sea turtles.
• 🔄 After hatching, sea turtles enter a period known as 'the lost years,' where they are difficult to track and many are preyed upon.
• 🍽 Most sea turtles are carnivorous, enjoying a diet that includes jellyfish.
• 🔄 Adult sea turtles can return to their birth beach to lay eggs, using the Earth's magnetic field to guide them.

Q & A

How long have sea turtles been on Earth?

Sea turtles have been on Earth for 110 million years.

What do sea turtles use to navigate the globe?

Sea turtles use the planet's magnetic field to navigate the globe.

What is the average lifespan of a sea turtle?

The average lifespan of a sea turtle is a century.

What is the significance of the beginning of a sea turtle's life cycle?

The beginning of a sea turtle's life cycle is famous for being one of the most challenging and fascinating in the animal kingdom, starting with hatching and making a dangerous journey to the sea.

What is a currancle and how does it relate to sea turtles?

A currancle is a special egg-breaking tooth that baby sea turtles use to break free from their eggs when they're ready to hatch.

Why is it important for humans not to interfere when baby turtles are hatching?

It's important not to interfere because touching their fragile bodies could affect their survival chances, and even the oil from human skin can potentially damage their three-day food package they're born with.

What is the 'lost years' phase in a sea turtle's life?

The 'lost years' is a period in a sea turtle's life after they enter the water as babies, where they disappear into the deep ocean and are difficult to track, lasting up to a decade before they return to coastal shallows as juveniles.

What are some of the threats sea turtles face during their lifetime?

Sea turtles face threats such as predation by larger animals, entanglement in abandoned fishing equipment, ingestion of plastic, and the effects of human pollution.

How do sea turtles ensure they return to their birth beach to lay eggs?

Scientists believe sea turtles use the Earth's magnetic field as a kind of compass to travel thousands of miles and always know where they're going, ensuring they return to their birth beach.

What determines the sex of sea turtle hatchlings?

The temperature of the sand in the nest determines the sex of the hatchlings, with warmer sand producing a higher ratio of females and cooler sand producing more males.

How often do female sea turtles return to nest?

Female sea turtles generally return to their birth beach to nest every two to four years during nesting season.

Outlines

00:00

🐢 Sea Turtles' Life Journey

This paragraph introduces the sea turtles, highlighting their 110 million-year existence on Earth and their use of the planet's magnetic field for navigation. It discusses their century-long lifespan and the perilous journey from hatching to reaching the sea, fraught with dangers like seabirds and crabs. The survival rate is low, with only one in a thousand making it to adulthood. The narrative emphasizes the importance of not interfering with the natural process and the impact of human waste and activities on their survival. The 'lost years' of a sea turtle's life are also mentioned, where they disappear into the deep ocean for up to a decade before returning to coastal areas.

05:01

🌊 Predators and Human Impact on Sea Turtles

Paragraph 2 delves into the threats faced by sea turtles, including predation by orcas and sea lions, and the significant dangers posed by abandoned fishing gear and human waste. It showcases efforts by divers to free entangled turtles and the problem of plastic ingestion. The paragraph also discusses the endangered status of nearly all sea turtle species due to human activities over the past 200 years. It further explores the behavior of sea turtles as they mature, their solitary nature, and occasional interactions during feeding or migration. The narrative also touches on their mating habits, with females returning to their birth beaches every few years to lay eggs, guided by the Earth's magnetic field.

10:02

🐢 The Cycle of Life for Sea Turtles

The final paragraph focuses on the life cycle of sea turtles, from hatching to adulthood. It discusses how the sex of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature of the sand and their instinctual rush to the sea. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the longevity of sea turtles, which can live up to a hundred years if they avoid predation and pollution. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of these creatures and encourages viewers to subscribe for more sea life content.

Keywords

💡Sea Turtles

Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit oceans around the world. They are characterized by their streamlined bodies, protective shells, and flipper-like limbs. The video mentions that sea turtles have been on Earth for 110 million years, indicating their ancient lineage and adaptation to marine environments. They use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate, showcasing their remarkable navigational abilities.

💡Magnetic Field

The Earth's magnetic field is a complex, dynamic force that surrounds the planet and is used by many species, including sea turtles, for navigation. In the context of the video, it is highlighted that sea turtles rely on this field to explore the globe, emphasizing their ability to undertake long migrations and find their way back to their birth beaches to lay eggs.

💡Lifespan

The lifespan of sea turtles is referenced in the video as being up to a century, which is significantly longer than many other animals. This long lifespan allows them to experience a vast array of environments and challenges, contributing to their survival skills and the evolutionary success of the species.

💡Hatching

Hatching refers to the process where baby sea turtles emerge from their eggs. The video describes how they use a special egg-breaking tooth called a 'currancle' to break free from their eggs. This is a critical and perilous stage in their life cycle, as they must then navigate a dangerous journey from the nest to the sea.

💡Predators

Predators are animals that hunt and consume other animals. The video mentions various predators that pose a threat to sea turtles, such as seabirds, crabs, and even larger marine animals like orcas. These predators are part of the natural selection process that determines the survival of sea turtles, particularly during their vulnerable early stages.

💡Endangered

The term 'endangered' is used to describe species that are at risk of extinction. The video states that nearly all seven species of sea turtles are considered endangered due to human activities such as pollution and fishing. This highlights the conservation challenges faced by these creatures and the need for protective measures.

💡Human Waste

Human waste, as mentioned in the video, is a significant problem for sea turtles. It can contaminate their habitats and even entangle them, leading to injury or death. The video illustrates this with examples of turtles caught in ghost nets and those affected by pollution, emphasizing the impact of human activities on marine life.

💡Lost Years

The 'lost years' is a term used to describe the period in a sea turtle's life when they are difficult to track after entering the ocean as hatchlings. The video explains that this is a mysterious phase of their life cycle, where they disappear into the deep ocean and are not seen for up to a decade. This period is crucial for their survival and development.

💡Mating

Mating is the process by which adult sea turtles reproduce. The video explains that females return to their birth beach every two to four years to lay eggs after mating. This behavior is a testament to their incredible homing instinct and the importance of preserving their natal beaches for future generations.

💡Nesting

Nesting is the act of female sea turtles creating a nest to lay their eggs. The video describes how they use their flippers and underbellies to dig a nest on the beach. The process is physically demanding and must be done carefully to ensure the survival of the eggs until they hatch.

💡Conservation

Conservation refers to the protection and management of natural resources, including wildlife. The video underscores the importance of conservation efforts for sea turtles, which are threatened by various human-induced factors. It highlights the need for awareness and action to protect these ancient creatures and their habitats.

Highlights

Sea turtles have been on Earth for 110 million years.

They use the planet's magnetic field to navigate.

Sea turtles have an average lifespan of a century.

Their life cycle is one of the most famous in the animal kingdom.

The story is told through footage by divers, snorkelers, and the public.

Baby green sea turtles hatch with a special egg-breaking tooth called a currancle.

Seabirds and crabs are predators of baby turtles on the beach.

Only one in 1,000 sea turtles survives to adulthood.

Sea turtles face threats from human waste and abandoned fishing equipment.

An incredibly rare albino turtle was spotted on Castaways Beach, Queensland, Australia.

Sea turtles enter a period known as 'the lost years' after entering the water.

Turtles are solitary creatures and are difficult to track during their early years.

Sea turtles are hunted by larger predators like orcas.

Nearly all seven sea turtle species are now considered endangered.

Sea turtles can sleep on the surface and underwater, holding their breath for at least five hours.

Adult sea turtles reach sexual maturity 10 to 50 years after hatching.

Females return to their birth beach every two to four years to lay eggs.

The temperature of the sand determines the sex of the hatchlings.

It's believed that sea turtles can live to around a hundred years in the wild.

Six of the seven sea turtle species are in trouble, highlighting the importance of conservation.

Transcripts

they've been on earth for 110 million

years

and each one uses the planet's magnetic

field to explore the globe

with an average lifespan of a century

sea turtles see more of the world

than even we can expect to in our

lifetimes

and their long journeys have one of the

most famous beginnings

in the animal kingdom that's what this

episode of deep blue discovery

is all about you're going to see the

life cycle

of one of the most intelligent and

interesting creatures in the ocean

with the story told through footage shot

by divers

snorkelers and ordinary members of the

public

from the largest of all the sea turtles

to the tiniest toddlers on tropical

beaches

this is deep blue discovery

on kenya's mombasa coast these baby

green sea turtles have broken free

when they're ready to hatch they use a

special egg-breaking tooth called a

currancle

the mother as is so often the case in

nature has long since left the nest

unattended

the babies now face a dangerous journey

down the beach

to the relative safety of the sea while

they're on the sand

they're easy pickings for seabirds and

crabs

while some live to be a hundred many sea

turtles don't last a day

and even reaching the sea doesn't

necessarily mean an end to their

troubles

[Applause]

[Music]

one in 1 000 will survive to adulthood

more on that later

it's the same story on warm beaches all

over the world

such as here in northern zanzibar people

often watch and film baby turtles making

this incredible journey

but it's important where possible they

don't interfere

touching their fragile bodies could

affect their survival chances

just the oil from your skin can cause

damage potentially to the three-day food

package they're born with

some people also argue quite reasonably

that nature should simply be allowed

to run its course

but crabs and hungry gulls are sometimes

the least of their problems

in some parts of the world such as here

in rowata roatan honduras

endangered hawksbill sea turtles have to

contend

with human waste these were rescued in

2018

but others around the world haven't been

so lucky

this is a global issue

[Music]

female sea turtles return to their birth

beach later in their lives

this one for example will head back to

ebole italy to lay her own eggs

more on that later too male turtles

however

almost never return to land once they

reach the sea

the survival rate is so low imagine

getting to see this incredibly rare

albino turtle survive the journey

as these people did on castaways beach

in queensland australia

[Music]

[Music]

those that do make it down the beach and

into the water

enter an era of their lives we know very

little about

this time is called the lost years

this turtle might be calmly swimming

around divers off the maldives

but they're a lot more difficult to spot

and track when they're young

once they enter the water as babies they

disappear into the deep ocean

it can be as long as a decade before

they return to the coastal shallows

as juveniles

[Music]

[Music]

turtles tend to be solitary they spend

most of their time submerged

and we can't really track them when

they're small so it's very difficult

to work out where they go and what they

do

that said we can roughly estimate how

many survive to juvenile status

and it isn't many turtles are hunted by

larger predators

for their whole lives

[Music]

off the coast of ecuador this orca

demonstrates

what easy prey turtles are and

[Music]

he's a young guy that's practicing he's

entertaining us

they also fall victim to slightly

smaller predators like sea lions

although to see something like this off

the coast of perth australia

is actually very rare

[Music]

one of the biggest threats to their

survival is abandoned fishing equipment

and human waste here are divers freeing

a leatherback

the largest of all the turtle species

after it got trapped in a ghost

net of mozambique

this sadly is not unusual and divers

regularly encounter turtles entangled

in fishing gear this one was so caught

up

it took scuba diver andrew stonebridge

and the temple adventures team

an hour to free it

[Music]

plastic is another gigantic problem this

juvenile green turtle was filmed

defecating plastic after being caught in

fishing nets off the coast of argentina

thanks to the hard work of vets at the

mundo marino foundation

this one was lucky and was eventually

well enough to be released back into the

wild

due in large part to human activity over

the last 200 years

nearly all of the seven sea turtle

species are now considered endangered

[Music]

despite the threats they face it's still

possible to see and enjoy

these animals in the wild and you're

more likely to see them

from the juvenile years onwards it's

then

that we really get a picture of how

incredible these creatures are

during the remainder of the lost years

as they continue to mature

sea turtles cover some serious ground

scaling the ocean

for as much food as possible

most species are meat-eaters and are

said to really enjoy

jellyfish this footage was captured off

the coast of hook island

australia

and this three turtles jostling over a

jellyfish

off the coast of byron bay

sea turtles remain solitary for most of

their lives

except for one or two species who

regularly see each other at feeding

grounds

or during major migrations

but all species obviously encounter each

other on occasion

here off indonesia we can see two sleepy

green turtles

jostling for the best resting place on

the ocean floor

turtles can actually sleep on the

surface and underwater

because they can hold their breath for

at least five hours

they don't like to share their beds

depending on the species 10 to 50 years

after hatching on the beach

fully grown adult sea turtles reach

sexual maturity

and start to think about mating

generally every two to four years

females will return to their birth beach

during nesting season

scientists think they use the earth's

magnetic field as a kind of compass so

they're able to travel

thousands of miles and always know where

they're going

once a male has fertilized the eggs the

female will head onto the beach

and craft a nest with her flippers and

underbelly

this one interrupted diners in jalisco

mexico

but was sadly put off laying her eggs by

all the activity

it's actually common for turtles to

crawl out of the ocean but decide not to

nest

this is called a false crawl the site

has to be perfect

these animals are built for the sea and

not for the sand

so nesting is exhausting work

once the eggs are laid and the nest

disguised the mother heads back into the

ocean

from that point on the survival of the

soon to be hatchlings

is in the hand of fate and instinct

approximately 60 days later we're on

kenya's mombasa coast

back at the beginning the temperature of

the sand in the nest determines whether

the hatchlings are male or female

with warmer sun producing a higher ratio

of females

and cooler more males their rush towards

the waves gets underway

another of these extraordinary life

cycles

[Music]

it's actually not known exactly how long

sea turtles live in the wild

and it will no doubt vary from species

to species

but it's believed those that avoid being

eaten and the effects of pollution

probably live to around a hundred

worldwide the populations of six of the

seven sea turtle species

are in trouble so it's always worth

remembering

how incredible these creatures are

[Music]

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