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get involved Submit A Report -  turtle watch in-water

 IN ORDER FOR US TO DETERMINE ABUNDANCE IT IS IMPORTANT TO SUBMIT REPORTS EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT SEA TURTLES​.  Please use this form to submit your observations while diving or snorkeling on the reef.  

Sea Turtles of Belize

Hawksbill Turtle

Picture
Photo Courtesy Linda Searle
Hawksbill turtles can be distinguished by their 4 pairs of overlapping lateral scutes and hawk-like beak.  They have 2 pairs of pre-frontal scales and can weigh up to 200 pounds.  Their favorite habitat is coral reefs where they spend the day looking for their favorite food - sponges.  Juvenile and adult hawksbill sea turtles are found throughout Belize.

Green Turtle

Picture
Photo Courtesy Daniel Rimkus
According to Christopher Columbus "green sea turtles were once so abundant they covered the seas."  they eat! They are the second largest sea turtle and can weigh up to 500 pounds.  They can be easily identified by their 4 pairs of lateral scutes and single pair of pre-frontal scales.  Green turtles are actually named after the color of their fat which is probably attributable to all the sea grass. Juveniles and adults can be found on reefs and over seagrass beds throughout Belize, and are regularly observed at Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

Loggerhead Turtle

Picture
Male loggerhead sea turtle photographed off South Water Caye. Notice the large tail that extends beyond the carapace which indicates he is a male turtle. Photo Courtesy Gary Gaston
Loggerhead turtles can be distinguished by their large head.  They can weigh up to 450 pounds and their shell can be up to 3.5 feet in length.  They have 5 pairs of lateral scutes.  They are found cruising coral reefs looking for crustaceans and mollusks. Juvenile loggerheads are not common in Belize so sighting of this size would be VERY important.

Leatherback Turtle

Picture
Photo Courtesy Pretoma
Leatherback turtles are the only sea turtle that has a soft shell. They are the largest of all sea turtles and can weigh up to a ton and have shells of up to 8 feet in length!  They are easily identifiable by their size, soft carapace and prominent ridges on their carapace.  They swim through the open ocean and feed primarily on jellyfish. These are occasionally seen in the open ocean and in the Victoria Channel which extends along the coast from Robinson Point to Monkey River.

Olive Ridley Turtle

Picture
Photo Courtesy Michael Jensen
The range of olive ridley turtles was not thought to extend to the waters of Belize but in early 2011, a stranded olive ridley was found floating in discarded fishing gear near Hol Chan Marine Reserve. She was rehabilitated and released 4 months later.  Olive ridleys can be distinguished by the disk-shape of their shell.  They are a small turtle weighing 75-100 pounds on average with a shell length of about 2 feet. Olive ridleys are omnivores that can be found near coral reefs and in the open sea.

Kemp's Ridley Turtle

Picture
Photo Courtesy Andrea McCracken
The Kemp's Ridley is the rarest of all sea turtles and has not yet been spotted in Belize. They are small like the Olive Ridely and have and oval shell. 95% of all nestings of Kemp's Ridley turtles occur on a beach on the east coast of Mexico in large groups known as arribadas. They love to hang out in places with muddy, sandy bottoms where they can find their favorite food of crustaceans and molluscs.

    CONTACT DETAILS

    Please list name of dive shop, resort or conservation NGO.

    SITE DETAILS

    Please give the nearest island name, i.e. Ambergris Caye, Half Moon Caye, Laughingbird Caye...
    GPS Coorindates
    This will be around 17 degrees north in Belize
    this usually begins with 88 in Belize

    DATE & TIME

    WATER CONDITION

    Please indicate if Celcius or Fahrenheit
    Please provide best estimate and indicate if in meters or feet.

    TURTLE DETAILS

    Remember please record your dives even if you did not see turtles.
    Max file size: 20MB
    i.e. dolphins, nurse shark, rainbow parrotfish, etc.
Submit

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ST GEORGE'S CAYE
Mailing Address: PO Box 1234, Belize City, Belize
TEL: + (501) 223-3022  Cel: + (501) 673-3022  Caye: + (501) 671-3483
Email:
info@ecomarbelize.org
Picture
Copyright © 2019
  • Welcome
    • About >
      • Site Map
      • COMMUNITIES
      • Partners
      • Blog
    • Links >
      • Classroom Tools
    • News
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Research Station
    • Research Trips
    • St George's Caye
    • Marine Research >
      • Conch
      • Dolphins
      • Fish
      • Manatees >
        • Manatees 2017
        • Manatee ID >
          • Delfina
      • Sea Turtles >
        • Gallow's Point >
          • Turtles Gallows Pt
          • Rhody Hope Majil
          • Hope 4 Nature
        • Robinson Point
        • Hope 4 Freya
    • Archaeology Project >
      • SGCAP 2016
      • SGCAP 2015
  • Turtle Watch
    • Sea Turtle Census >
      • Nesting Beach Observations
      • In-Water Observations >
        • Photo ID
        • Turtle Recaptures
      • Stranded Sea Turtles >
        • Stranded Turtles 2010-2012
      • Illegal Take
    • Sea Turtle 101 >
      • Legislation
      • Classification
      • Anatomy
      • Life History
      • Species
      • Threats
    • Nesting Beaches
    • Satellite Telemetry >
      • Tracking NOW
      • Historical Tracks >
        • Belize BSTCN >
          • Gallow's Point ECOMAR
          • Gales Point GPWS
          • Lighthouse BAS
          • Lighthouse MAR Alliance
          • Glovers ECOMAR
          • Glovers WCS
          • Port Honduras TIDE
        • Barbados UWI
        • Cayman Islands DOE
        • Costa Rica STC
        • Jamaica NOAA
        • Mexico NOAA
        • Mexico UNAM
      • Education Resources
    • Outreach Materials >
      • Turtle Watch Newsletters
    • Operation Green Turtle
    • Turtle Network >
      • In-Water Surveys
      • Sea Turtle Rehab
      • BSTCN Members
  • Coral Watch
    • Coral Bleaching 101 >
      • Healthy vs. Unhealthy Coral
      • Remote Sensing
    • Coral Watch Publications
    • Coral Network >
      • Coral Members
  • Lionfish
    • Lionfish Served Here!
    • History in Belize >
      • GCFI Fisherman Exchange
      • COMPACT Lionfish Project
    • Lionfish Publications
    • Caribbean Strategies >
      • Culling Protocol >
        • Bermuda Lionfish
  • Marine Life
    • Marine Life Reports
    • Submit Marine Life Report
  • Ocean Watch
    • Manatee Deaths >
      • 2017 Manatee Deaths
      • Archives Manatees
      • Manatee Facts
    • Climate Change
    • Oil Exploration
    • Ciguatera
    • Haulover Creek
    • Wildlife Interactions
  • Marine Mammals
    • Sightings >
      • Humpback Whale Sightings
      • Killer Whales
    • Whale Stamps
    • Marine Mammal Workshop >
      • Management Considerations
      • Interaction Guidelines >
        • Vessels & Approaches
        • Swimming With
    • Marine Mammal Rescue
  • Get Involved
    • Adopt A Beach >
      • Adopt A Beach Sign Up
      • Adopted Beaches
    • Adopt A Reef >
      • Adopted Reefs
    • Volunteer
    • Reserve A Trip
    • Donate
  • Submit Report
    • Coral Watch
    • Lionfish Hunter
    • Marine Life Census
    • Turtle Watch In-Water
    • Turtle Watch Nesting Beach
    • Turtle Watch Stranded
    • Marine Mammal Form
  • Contact
  • Gift Shop