Olive Ridley Turtle

ID points

• Nearly round olive-green shell
• Five or more pairs of costal scutes, often uneven left to right
• Tens of thousands come ashore to nest at the same time

Basics

Family

Cheloniidae

Length

60–75 cm

Depth

0-150 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Open ocean

Distribution

Tropical Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans

Habitat

Tropical coastal and open waters

Diet

Crabs, shrimp and jellyfish

Easily confused with

Flatback Sea TurtleFlat shell with edges clearly turned upwardsGreen Sea TurtleShell scutes do not overlap, the edge is smoothHawksbill TurtleShell scutes overlap in layers like roof tiles

Fun fact

The most abundant sea turtle in the world. Every year they come ashore together on the same beach to nest, an event called the arribada, when hundreds of thousands may lay their eggs in step.

More in this family

• Loggerhead Sea Turtle