Do sea turtles ever lay eggs underwater?
Sea turtles lay eggs (oviposit) on sandy beaches. Their eggs breathe air through their membranes and so cannot survive if they are continuously covered with water. Nesting turtles sometimes abandon nesting if they are disturbed and are scared back to sea, but they usually try to nest again elsewhere later that night or within 1-2 days of the failed attempt. Turtles disturbed during several nesting attempts may abort their eggs in the sea if they cant carry them any longer. Once a clutch of eggs is ripe, they must be deposited, to allow for development of another clutch. Captive turtles have been known to drop eggs into the water.
