Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Snapshot

Georgia’s primary nesting sea turtle — large reddish-brown head and shell, hard scutes, two claws per flipper. Nests on Georgia barrier-island beaches. Federally Threatened (Northwest Atlantic DPS). Leave nests and turtles alone.

Description and identification

SREL: adults ~29–44 in carapace, ~170–350 lb. Large head, thick jaws, reddish brown; two claws per flipper; non-overlapping scutes; first costal contacts nuchal; five or more costals per side; usually three (sometimes four) poreless bridge scutes. Often heavy epibiota on the shell — more than 50 invertebrate species have been associated with loggerhead carapaces. Males smaller than females but with longer tails.

Look-alikes

Green sea turtle — smaller head, one pair of prefrontal scales, usually four costals, more olive. Kemp’s ridley — smaller, rounder olive shell. Leatherback — ridged rubbery shell, no hard scutes. Hawksbill — overlapping scutes, birdlike beak (rare in GA).

Range in Georgia

Wide Atlantic distribution; nests on temperate beaches including Georgia and the Carolinas. Hatchlings swim to Sargasso habitats; later return to coastal neritic life. Georgia barrier islands host the state’s primary sea-turtle nesting.

Habitat preferences

Open-ocean developmental habitats in sargassum; shallow coastal foraging as larger juveniles and adults; sandy nesting beaches with open dunes. In winter, animals move south to avoid cold-stunning — though loggerheads tolerate cooler water than many sea turtles. Beach armoring and lighting degrade nesting habitat.

Natural history

Nest May–October every 2–4 years; about 115–125 eggs, 4–6 clutches per season at roughly two-week intervals. Incubation ~55–65 days; temperature-dependent sex. Strong site fidelity to natal or prior nesting beaches. Hatchlings perform a multi-day swimming frenzy toward oceanic habitats; later life stages shift to coastal benthic feeding. Eggs and hatchlings face raccoons, hogs, ghost crabs, fire ants, fish, and seabirds.

Food preferences

Hatchlings: small invertebrates and fish eggs in sargassum. Growing juveniles: jellyfish and surface invertebrates. Adults: mainly benthic crabs and mollusks, plus opportunistic dead fish — powerful jaws crush hard prey.

Temperament and encounters

Federally protected — never disturb nesting females, crawls, or nests. Report strandings through Georgia DNR / stranding network.

Conservation and legal notes

ESA Threatened — Northwest Atlantic Distinct Population Segment (DPS) (Georgia’s nesting population). Threats: trawl bycatch (TEDs help), beach armoring and jetties, lighting disorientation of females and hatchlings, nest predation. Georgia nesting is monitored by DNR and partners. (SREL’s IUCN “endangered” wording is a global IUCN category — do not confuse it with the federal NWA DPS Threatened label.)

All sea turtles in U.S. waters are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect them, or to disturb nests. Report strandings and nesting activity through current Georgia DNR / USFWS channels. Do not invent statutes. Beach lighting, coastal development, bycatch, and marine debris remain major threats. Educational observation from a distance is the default.

If you meet one

Watch from a respectful distance on the beach or from shore. Never approach nesting females, hatchlings, or nests; never shine lights at turtles; never dig in marked or unmarked nest areas. If you find a stranded, injured, or dead sea turtle, report it through current Georgia DNR / stranding-network contacts rather than attempting rescue yourself. This profile is educational, not a husbandry or collecting guide.