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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Animals

Turtles

Green turtle

Chelonia mydas

Adult green turtles mostly graze seagrass and algae in calm shallows. Give them space and leave a clear path up to breathe.

Least ConcernIn 103 Atlas countries

Least Concern (IUCN, 2025) means it is not at high risk of extinction worldwide today. It moved down from Endangered in October 2025, but some regional populations are still threatened.

Green turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detail
Photo: James Thornton on Unsplash
Green turtle resting on a coral reef in clear blue water
Photo: Oleksandr Sushko on Unsplash
Green turtle resting on white sand off Gili Trawangan
Photo: Uber Scuba Gili on Unsplash
Green turtle swimming in sunlit water over a reef in Maui
Photo: Jonathan Ikemura on Unsplash
Green turtle swimming over algae-covered reef in Sri Lanka
Photo: Zoshua Colah on Unsplash
Green turtle gliding over a reef at Sipadan, Borneo
Photo: Jesse Schoff on Unsplash
Green turtle swimming past a reef wall
Photo: Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash
Green turtle swimming above coral in turquoise water
Photo: Giorgia Doglioni on Unsplash

Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.

Length

Shell (carapace) usually about 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 ft) long

Weight

Usually about 113 to 181 kg (250 to 400 lb); up to about 225 kg (500 lb)

Next to a person

The shell is about as long as an adult's waist height (about 1 m)

What it eats

Young turtles eat both plants and small animals. Larger young and adults mostly eat seagrass and algae, and some populations eat more animal food.

Around people

Calm, give space

How it lives

Green turtles graze on seagrass and algae in coastal feeding areas. Every 2-5 years, females travel hundreds to thousands of miles to nest, laying about 110 eggs per nest at night. They nest alone and take 25-35 years to become adults. Hatchlings spend several years in the open ocean.

Where it goes

Every 2 to 5 years, females travel hundreds to thousands of kilometres from their feeding areas to nest. Five females tagged at Ascension Island swam 1,777 to 2,342 km back to Brazil in 33 to 47 days. In Hawaii, green turtles make a round trip of about 1,931 km between the main islands and their nesting beaches at French Frigate Shoals.

Populations

Big nesting beaches include Tortuguero in Costa Rica, with about 30,000 females a season, Colola in Mexico, with about 28,000, and Raine Island in Australia, with up to 60,000 in a peak season. Around the Gili Islands, 181 green turtles were identified from photos in 2019, and more than 400 since 2016. Around Amed and Tulamben in Bali, green turtles are common.

Meet it respectfully

Never touch, chase, feed or surround a turtle, keep your viewing brief, and never block its way up to the surface to breathe. We keep at least 3 m (10 ft) from turtles and follow local rules, which differ by place. On nesting beaches at night, use no white light or flash, and join only a ranger-led or licensed guided walk.

Fun fact

Tap the bulb to light it up.

Where it goes

Follow its journey

Choose a journey and watch it travel. Every line comes from satellite tracking or documented research, and the source is named.

StartEndJourney (the line joins documented areas; real paths vary)

Where you may meet it

Green turtle in the Ocean Atlas

Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.

FijiTanzaniaW. SaharaCanadaUnited States of AmericaKazakhstanUzbekistanPapua New GuineaIndonesiaArgentinaChileDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadHaitiDominican Rep.RussiaBahamasFalkland Is.NorwayGreenlandFr. S. Antarctic LandsTimor-LesteSouth AfricaLesothoMexicoUruguayBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaCosta RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorGuatemalaBelizeVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameFranceEcuadorPuerto RicoJamaicaCubaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiIsraelLebanonMadagascarPalestineGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanVanuatuCambodiaThailandLaosMyanmarVietnamNorth KoreaSouth KoreaMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandNew CaledoniaSolomon Is.New ZealandAustraliaSri LankaChinaTaiwanItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandAzerbaijanGeorgiaPhilippinesMalaysiaBruneiSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaEritreaJapanParaguayYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaRwandaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoTrinidad and TobagoS. SudanChiloé and the Gulf of Corcovado, ChileFrancisco Coloane, Strait of Magellan, ChilePunta de Choros and the Humboldt Archipelago, ChileRapa Nui, ChileRobinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernández), ChileAnjouan, ComorosGrande Comore, ComorosMohéli, ComorosGalápagos, EcuadorMoʻorea, French PolynesiaRurutu, French PolynesiaAmed, Bali, IndonesiaGili Trawangan, IndonesiaKomodo, IndonesiaGili Air, IndonesiaMaratua and Derawan, IndonesiaRaja Ampat, IndonesiaNusa Penida, IndonesiaLovina, Bali, IndonesiaOkinawa, JapanAqaba, JordanPerhentian Islands, MalaysiaTioman Island, MalaysiaCoron, Palawan, PhilippinesMoalboal, Cebu, PhilippinesPanglao and Balicasag, Bohol, PhilippinesSiquijor, PhilippinesApo Island and Dauin, PhilippinesApo Reef, PhilippinesBoracay, PhilippinesEl Nido and Bacuit Bay, PhilippinesPort Barton and San Vicente, PhilippinesTubbataha Reefs, PhilippinesRéunion, RéunionMafia Island, TanzaniaMikindani and Mnazi Bay, TanzaniaZanzibar - Matemwe, Mnemba and Chumbe, TanzaniaFlorida Keys (Key Largo), United StatesLa Jolla and the Channel Islands, United StatesMaui, United StatesOʻahu, United StatesSan Diego and La Jolla, United StatesJuneau and Southeast Alaska, United StatesGlacier Bay, United StatesSeward and Kenai Fjords, United StatesCham Islands and Hoi An, VietnamCon Dao, VietnamNha Trang, VietnamPhu Quoc, VietnamDe Gi coast, VietnamUmluj and the Red Sea islands, Saudi ArabiaYanbu, Saudi ArabiaJeddah and Obhur, Saudi ArabiaAl Lith, Saudi ArabiaGulf of Aqaba coast, Saudi ArabiaDrake and Caño, Costa RicaQuepos and Golfo Dulce, Costa RicaLa Ventana, MexicoGuadalupe Island, MexicoBaird Bay and Eyre Peninsula, AustraliaBarunguba and Narooma, AustraliaBremer Bay, AustraliaCairns, Port Douglas and the Ribbon Reefs, AustraliaChristmas Island, AustraliaCocos (Keeling) Islands, AustraliaLady Elliot Island, AustraliaLord Howe Island, AustraliaNingaloo, AustraliaRowley Shoals, AustraliaTasman Peninsula and Eaglehawk Neck, AustraliaMaria Island and the east coast, AustraliaBimini, The BahamasAndros, The BahamasExuma Cays, The BahamasEleuthera, The BahamasFernando de Noronha, BrazilAbrolhos, BrazilPraia do Forte, BrazilSanta Catarina whale coast, BrazilBonito, BrazilTamarin and Flic en Flac, MauritiusBlue Bay and Mahébourg, MauritiusBelle Mare, MauritiusRodrigues, MauritiusLagos coast and Lekki, NigeriaBadagry coast, NigeriaWatamu, KenyaDiani, KenyaShimoni and Kisite, KenyaLittle Cayman, Cayman IslandsGrand Cayman, Cayman IslandsCayman Brac, Cayman IslandsWestpunt, CuraçaoWillemstad and the central coast, CuraçaoCuraçao Marine Park (southeast coast), CuraçaoKlein Curaçao, CuraçaoLos Cóbanos, El SalvadorJiquilisco Bay, El SalvadorCorn Islands, NicaraguaSan Juan del Sur and La Flor, NicaraguaChacocente, NicaraguaRoatán, HondurasUtila, HondurasGuanaja, HondurasCayos Cochinos, HondurasCôte des Arcadins, HaitiÎle-à-Vache, HaitiThree Bays Protected Area, HaitiGrand Turk, Turks and Caicos IslandsSalt Cay, Turks and Caicos IslandsProvidenciales and Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos IslandsWest Caicos and French Cay, Turks and Caicos IslandsSalt Island and the RMS Rhone, British Virgin IslandsNorman Island and the Indians, British Virgin IslandsVirgin Gorda, British Virgin IslandsAnegada and Horseshoe Reef, British Virgin IslandsCades Reef and the southwest coast, Antigua and BarbudaEnglish Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua and BarbudaBarbuda and Codrington Lagoon, Antigua and BarbudaSoufrière and the Pitons, Saint LuciaAnse Chastanet, Saint LuciaWest coast deep water, Saint LuciaGrande Anse, Saint LuciaSpeyside and Little Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoBuccoo Reef, Trinidad and TobagoTurtle Beach, Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoGrande Riviere, Trinidad, Trinidad and TobagoSwatch of No Ground, BangladeshSundarbans, BangladeshCox's Bazar and Sonadia, BangladeshSaint Martin's Island, BangladeshMergui Archipelago and Burma Banks, MyanmarLampi Marine National Park, MyanmarAyeyarwady River dolphins, MyanmarKoh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, CambodiaKep and the Kampot seagrass, CambodiaKratie and the Mekong dolphin pools, CambodiaHoi Ha Wan and the Sai Kung coast, Hong KongWest and South Lantau, Hong KongSham Wan, Lamma Island, Hong KongHawar Islands, BahrainNorthern pearl beds and reefs, BahrainKubbar Island, KuwaitQaruh and Umm Al Maradim, KuwaitKarachi turtle beaches (Hawksbay and Sandspit), PakistanChurna Island, PakistanAstola Island, PakistanDaran Beach, Jiwani, PakistanKish Island, IranHengam Island and Dolphins' Bay, IranQeshm Island and the Hara mangroves, IranDayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park, IranXiaoliuqiu, TaiwanHualien, TaiwanMáncora, Los Órganos and Cabo Blanco, PeruPunta Sal and the Tumbes coast, PeruParacas and the Ballestas Islands, PeruDahab, EgyptMarsa Alam, EgyptDhofar and the Hallaniyat Islands, OmanMusandam and Khasab, OmanMuscat and the Daymaniyat Islands, OmanUpolu and Savaiʻi, SamoaLa Digue, SeychellesMahé, SeychellesPraslin and Curieuse, SeychellesTrincomalee and Nilaveli, Sri LankaKaş, TürkiyeAbu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesBouche du Roy and Grand-Popo, BeninRas Hafun to Alula coast, SomaliaBajuni Islands, SomaliaBolong Fenyo, Gunjur, GambiaTanji Karinti Bird Reserve, GambiaConkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of the CongoPointe-Noire coast, Republic of the CongoMuanda and the Mangroves Marine Park, Democratic Republic of the CongoLe Carbet and the Caribbean coast, MartiniqueMayotte lagoon, MayotteEmily Bay and Slaughter Bay, Norfolk IslandCabo de Palos and Cartagena, SpainEl Hierro and La Restinga, SpainFormentera, SpainFuerteventura, SpainGran Canaria, SpainIbiza, SpainJávea (Xàbia), SpainL'Estartit and the Medes Islands, SpainLa Herradura and Costa Tropical, SpainLa Palma, SpainLanzarote, SpainMallorca, SpainMenorca, SpainMálaga and the Costa del Sol, SpainTabarca and Alicante, SpainTarifa and the Strait of Gibraltar, SpainTenerife, SpainCyprus, CyprusPort Antonio and Negril, JamaicaAitutaki, Cook IslandsRarotonga, Cook IslandsFlying Fish Cove and the reef walls, Christmas IslandKavieng and New Ireland, Papua New GuineaKimbe Bay, Papua New GuineaMilne Bay, Papua New GuineaTufi (Oro Province), Papua New GuineaBourail, Poé and Déva, New CaledoniaNouméa and the Great Southern Lagoon, New CaledoniaPoindimié and Hienghène, New CaledoniaÎle des Pins (Kunié), New CaledoniaIfaty and Mangily, MadagascarNosy Be, MadagascarÎle Sainte-Marie, MadagascarEilat and the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, IsraelMalpelo, ColombiaGorgona, ColombiaNuquí, Bahía Solano and Utría, ColombiaProvidencia and Santa Catalina, ColombiaSan Andrés, ColombiaJames Bay and the island marine park, Saint HelenaLakshadweep (Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat), IndiaNetrani and Murudeshwar, IndiaSwaraj Dweep (Havelock) and Barren Island, IndiaFuvahmulah, MaldivesHanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, MaldivesSouth Ari Atoll, MaldivesAjaccio and the Gulf of Ajaccio, FranceBonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and the Lavezzi Islands, FranceMarseille, the Calanques and Cassis, FrancePort-Cros, Porquerolles and Hyères, FranceVillefranche-sur-Mer and Nice, FranceAmatique Bay and Livingston, GuatemalaIztapa, GuatemalaKhao Lak, Similan and Surin Islands, ThailandKoh Lanta and Hin Daeng, ThailandKoh Tao, ThailandSanta Catalina and Coiba, PanamaGulf of Chiriquí, PanamaPearl Islands, PanamaIsla Iguana and Isla Cañas, PanamaBocas del Toro and Bastimentos, PanamaGuna Yala, PanamaPlacencia and the Southern Reef, BelizeAliwal Shoal and Umkomaas, South AfricaCape Town and Hermanus, South AfricaSodwana Bay, South AfricaWuzhizhou Island, Sanya, ChinaSanya coral coast, ChinaXiamen Bay, ChinaFarwa Island and lagoon, LibyaEl Kouf National Park, LibyaKoror and the Rock Islands, PalauCabo Polonio, UruguayIsla de Lobos, UruguaySal, Cabo VerdeBoa Vista, Cabo VerdeFaial and Horta, PortugalMadeira, PortugalPico (Madalena and Lajes), PortugalPrincess Alice Bank, PortugalKaikōura, New ZealandPoor Knights Islands, New ZealandBay of Islands, New ZealandHauraki Gulf, New ZealandAkaroa and Banks Peninsula, New ZealandTofo, MozambiqueAlonissos, GreeceAmorgos, GreeceAntiparos, GreeceAthens Riviera and Attica, GreeceCorfu, GreeceCrete, GreeceFolegandros, GreeceHalkidiki, GreeceKalamata and Messinia, GreeceKalymnos, GreeceKea, GreeceKefalonia, GreeceKos, GreeceMilos, GreeceNaxos, GreeceNisyros, GreeceRhodes, GreeceSkopelos, GreeceZakynthos, GreeceBayahibe and the south coast, Dominican RepublicKadavu and the Great Astrolabe Reef, FijiPacific Harbour and Beqa Lagoon, FijiSavusavu and Vanua Levu, FijiTaveuni and Viani Bay, FijiYasawa and Drawaqa Manta Channel, FijiSindori, Jeju, South KoreaArnavon Community Marine Park, Solomon IslandsGizo and Western Province, Solomon IslandsMarovo Lagoon and Uepi, Solomon IslandsMunda and Roviana Lagoon, Solomon IslandsSocotra Archipelago, YemenPuerto Madryn and Punta Loma, ArgentinaPenínsula Valdés and Puerto Pirámides, ArgentinaEfate, Havannah Harbour and Moso, VanuatuEspiritu Santo and Aore, VanuatuMaskelyne Islands and South Malekula, VanuatuTanna, VanuatuReef platform and north shore, BermudaPond Inlet and the Nunavut floe edge, CanadaDigby Neck and Brier Island, CanadaSable Island, CanadaWalvis Bay and Swakopmund, NamibiaSaloum Delta, SenegalInner Hebrides (Coll, Tiree and Mull), United KingdomMoray Firth and Chanonry Point, United KingdomOrkney and Scapa Flow, United KingdomFarne Islands, United KingdomLundy, United KingdomDili and the Ombai-Wetar strait, Timor-LesteAtauro Island, Timor-LesteWadden Sea, NetherlandsZeeland coast, NetherlandsChuuk Lagoon, Micronesia (FSM)Kosrae, Micronesia (FSM)Pohnpei and Ahnd Atoll, Micronesia (FSM)Yap, Micronesia (FSM)Port Sudan reefs and Sanganeb, SudanDungonab Bay, SudanMayumba National Park, GabonLoango National Park, Gabon

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Antigua and BarbudaArgentinaAustraliaThe BahamasBahrainBangladeshBelizeBeninBermudaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsCabo VerdeCambodiaCanadaCayman IslandsChileChinaChristmas IslandColombiaComorosCook IslandsCosta RicaCuraçaoCyprusDemocratic Republic of the CongoDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorFijiFranceFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGreeceGuatemalaHaitiHondurasHong KongIndiaIndonesiaIranIsraelJamaicaJapanJordanKenyaKuwaitLibyaMadagascarMalaysiaMaldivesMartiniqueMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia (FSM)MozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorfolk IslandOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaPeruPhilippinesPortugalRepublic of the CongoRéunionSaint HelenaSaint LuciaSamoaSaudi ArabiaSenegalSeychellesSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSudanTaiwanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTrinidad and TobagoTürkiyeTurks and Caicos IslandsUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayVanuatuVietnamYemen

Read more about the green turtle

Responsible travel and conservationMoʻorea’s Lagoon: Rays, Blacktips and Turtles Without TouchingRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationTurtle Releases in Bali: When Conservation Becomes an EventRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationGili Conservation Projects: Who Does What, and How to Support Them WellRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationBali and Gili Turtles: From the Meat Trade to Nests Left in the SandRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationConservation or Attraction? The Truth About Turtles Kept in PoolsRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationLet Them Crawl: How Baby Turtles Should Reach the Sea, and Why We Do Not Carry ThemRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationBaby Turtles Are Not Props: Derawan and the Hands-Off RuleRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationMoʻorea Lagoon: Rays, Blacktips and Turtles Without TouchingRead ↗
Sources for this page

Facts checked 29 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.

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