The life cycle of marine turtles is similar across all species, as they grow slowly and take several decades to reach sexual maturity. As immature turtles, they may drift on ocean currents for many years or live in one location before migrating up to 3000km to a nesting beach. Male and female turtles migrate to a nesting area in their region of birth at an unknown age, typically between 20 to 50 years old.
Both males and females mate with several partners, and females store sperm to fertilize the three to seven clutches of eggs laid during the season. Females usually lay their eggs during the summer, taking several trips to the beach to do so, while males return to foraging areas.
After digging a body pit and a vertical egg chamber between 30 to 60cm deep with their hind flippers, females lay a clutch of leathery-shelled eggs, with each clutch containing around 120 eggs. The sand temperature during incubation determines the hatchlings’ sex, with warm and dark sand producing mostly females, while cool and white sand results in mostly males.
After seven to 12 weeks, the hatchlings emerge as a group and orient themselves towards the brightest direction to find the sea, using various cues like wave direction and magnetic fields to guide themselves. Once in the ocean, the hatchlings feed on small sea animals and migrate back to inshore foraging areas until they are mature enough to breed, and the cycle starts anew.
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