There are seven different species of sea turtles and they are all on the endangered list. They all are superstars in their own respect.
Here are some fun and interesting facts:
- The Leatherback, which is considered the mega-turtle of the sea turtle world, weighs 1,500 pounds! It is six feet long and four feet wide. It is as big as a door!
- The Green Sea Turtle can hold its breath for 5 hours!
- The Kemp Ridley is the smallest sea turtle but it still weighs 70-100 pounds.
- The Hawksbill is a hearty eater. His main diet is on sponges. It eats about 1,200 pounds of sponge each year without any issue.
Can you guess how deep a sea turtle can dive under water? The Leatherback sea turtle can dive as deep as 3,000 feet, which is over twice the length of the Empire State Building, where sunlight cannot reach and the water pressure is 92 times greater than at sea level. Learn more about sea turtles and their habitat in the online version of National Geographic Kids. Access full-text articles from magazines and books as well as view colorful photographs.
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