Loggerheads are amazing animals that are almost 110 million years old. And, whether they are swimming or just resting on the bottom of the sea floor, these omnivorous ocean-dwellers are always interesting!
No Teeth, No Problem
Turtles lack teeth. Instead, each species has a jaw shape adapted for its diet. Loggerheads have powerful jaws for crushing animals with hard shells such as crabs and shrimps. These turtle toughies have a soft side too, and don’t mind a heaping of healthy veggies like sargassum seaweed.
Accidental Anguish
Up to 200,000 loggerhead sea turtles are caught and killed as by-catch (accidental, non-targeted catch using nets or commercial longlines) annually in the Pacific alone. Commercial shrimp boats in the United States are now required to use turtle excluder devices in trawl nets, which can allow most turtles to escape.
Save These Sea Swimmers
The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund saves turtles through multiple projects. You too can help by simply helping protect loggerhead turtles nests by contacting authorities if you see one. Also, to help prevent turtle injuries, make sure you dispose of fishing line and all trash properly.
Are you interested in the life of a loggerhead? Experience Turtle: The Incredible Journey, SeaWorld Pictures’ new 3-D adventure of the life and migration of a loggerhead turtle from hatching to maturity and its return to the original Florida grounds it once nested in. Check local listings to find out when Turtle: The Incredible Journey is playing in a theater near you.
