What species of sea turtles live in the Bay?
Four species of sea turtles are common or occasional visitors to the Bay: • The loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, is the most common sea turtle found in the Bay, accounting for about 90 percent of its summer sea turtle population. Loggerheads weigh more than 100 pounds, some reaching 200 to 500 pounds or more. They have a heart-shaped, reddish-brown carapace; a creamy yellow plastron; and yellow markings on their legs. • The Atlantic Ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, has a circular, olive-green carapace and yellow plastron. It is smaller than the loggerhead, growing to about 2 feet long and weighing up to 100 pounds. • The leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea, is the largest turtle on earth, growing to more than 1,000 pounds. Its carapace and plastron are covered by a dark bluish-black skin, rather than scutes like other turtles. • The green turtle, Chelonia mydas, has a brown carapace, often mottled with dark markings or blotches. It can grow to 3 to 4 feet and weigh 250 to 450 pounds. Wher
