turtle
Green turtle.
Chelonia mydas · also: Green sea turtle
The largest hard-shelled sea turtle, named not for its shell but for the green fat beneath it — a legacy of its seagrass diet. Adults are among the ocean's few large herbivores, and their grazing keeps seagrass meadows healthy. After a carnivorous, open-ocean youth they switch to a vegetarian life on coastal flats.
Size
Up to ~120 cm, ~160 kg
Weight
Typically ~68–190 kg.
Diet
Adults herbivorous (seagrasses, algae); juveniles eat small invertebrates.
Lifespan
Long-lived, commonly 70+ years.
Depth
Shallow seagrass/algae flats, typically under 20–40 m.
Reproduction
Matures at 25–35 years; nests every 2–5 years, clutches of ~110–115 eggs.
Snorkel or dive
Snorkel + dive
Best season
Year-round; nesting Jun–Sep
Conservation
Vulnerable (Indian Ocean subpopulation)
How to recognise it
Rounded blunt head with a single pair of prefrontal scales; smooth non-overlapping scutes.
Behaviour
Adults largely herbivorous (seagrass/algae); often seen grazing or resting on the reef.
Where to see it in the Maldives
The main nesting sea turtle in the Maldives; seen on house reefs and seagrass beds atoll-wide.
Conservation
Bycatch, egg/meat harvest, beach loss, the disease fibropapillomatosis, plastic, climate change.
IUCN · Vulnerable (Indian Ocean subpopulation)
Watch them responsibly
Watch grazing turtles from a respectful distance; never ride, grab or surround them.
Named for the greenish fat under its shell from its plant diet — not its shell colour.
Globally downlisted to Least Concern in 2025 after recovery — but the Indian Ocean (Maldives) subpopulation is still Vulnerable.
Collective noun: a bale of turtles
Want to dive with green turtle?
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More turtles
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.