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.