Olive Ridley Turtle

Sea Turtle
Olive Ridley Turtle

Sea Turtle
Olive Ridley Turtle

Olive Ridley Turtle

Top
Facts
Why They Matter
Threats
What WWF is Doing
How You Can Help

Facts

Status
Vulnerable
Scientific Name
Lepidochelys olivacea
Weight
75-110 pounds
Length
24-28 inches
Habitats
Oceans

The name for this sea turtle is tied to the color of its shell—an olive green hue. They are currently the most abundant of all sea turtles. Their vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population.

Places
Mesoamerican Reef, Coastal East Africa, Gulf of California, Coral Triangle

Browse Photos & Videos

What do sea turtles eat? Unfortunately, plastic bags.

Plastic has only been mass-produced since the 1940s, but it’s having a devastating impact on sea turtles. Many of us are doing our part to reduce plastic pollution by recycling and reducing single-use items, but governments must also step up to take accountability and end this pollution epidemic.

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Why They Matter

Sea turtles are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems and help maintain the health of coral reefs and sea grass beds.

Threats

Extinction Risk Vulnerable
1. EX
  Extinct
  
  No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died
2. EW
  Extinct in the Wild
  
  Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population
3. CR
  Critically Endangered
  
  Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild
4. EN
  Endangered
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
5. VU
  Vulnerable
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
6. NT
  Near Threatened
  
  Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
7. LC
  Least Concern
  
  Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened

All stages of a sea turtle’s life are affected by environmental conditions such as temperature—even the sex of offspring. The warmer the nest beach conditions, the more female hatchlings that emerge from the eggs. Unusually warm temperatures caused by climate change could be disrupting normal sex ratios, resulting in fewer male baby turtles. Warmer sea surface temperatures can also lead to the loss of important foraging grounds for marine turtles, while increasingly severe storms and sea level rise can destroy critical nesting beaches and damage nests.

What WWF Is Doing

Eliminating Bycatch

WWF aims to reduce turtle bycatch by working with fisheries to switch to more turtle-friendly fishing hooks (“circle” hooks) and advocates for the use of devices that exclude turtles from nets. We run an international competition called Smart Gear to attract creative new ways to solve bycatch problems and to advance those ideas. Winning devices have been designed to minimize the bycatch of turtles on tuna longlines and help turtles avoid gillnets. We work with fishermen to help them save turtles caught in fishing gear. We also use satellite devices to track turtle movements to help prevent future interactions between fisheries and turtles.

Protecting Sea Turtle Habitat

WWF works around the world to establish marine protected areas (MPA) to ensure sea turtles have a safe place to nest, feed and migrate freely. We encourage governments to strengthen legislation and provide funding for sea turtle protection. WWF also supports the monitoring and patrolling of turtle nests in many parts of the world to equip local turtle conservationists. This often leads to ecotourism opportunities and offers alternative livelihoods.

Minimizing Climate Change Impacts

Here a researcher monitors the temperature of olive ridley sea turtle nests.

WWF studies how climate change affects sea turtles and works to find the best ways to reduce their vulnerability to changing environmental conditions. We work around the world with communities to monitor and protect nesting beaches which helps to build resilience to the future impacts of climate change. In the Eastern Pacific we work to raise awareness on the threat of sea level rise on nest sites and the importance of shade for nests.