When she is done, she heads down the beach and returns to sea.
She may move forward while she is doing this. This is an effort to conceal the location of her eggs from predators. Slowly moving forward, she throws dry, surface sand behind her. She gently pats the damp sand on top of her eggs, using the underside of her shell (plastron). She places sand on top of the chamber, until the eggs are completely covered. Once her clutch is complete, she closes the nest using her rear flippers in a similar way to digging her egg chamber, just in reverse. Following each contraction, the female turtle will drop between one and four eggs in quick succession. When she can reach no deeper, she pauses and begins contractions, her rear flippers rising off the sand. Once she has created a body pit, she begins to dig an egg chamber using her rear flippers, alternating between the right and left flipper to scoops out the damp sand. She removes the dry surface sand beneath her, which will later be used to cover the egg chamber. Once at the chosen nesting site, she begins to dig a body pit by using all four flippers. The female turtle emerges from the sea at night and ascends the beach, searching for a suitable nesting site (somewhere dark and quiet). The nesting process consists of several stages. Younger female turtles may follow older, experienced nesting turtles from their feeding grounds to the rookery (breeding site).Beach characteristics used may include smell, low-frequency sound, magnetic fields, the characteristics of seasonal offshore currents and celestial cues. It is widely believed that hatchlings imprint the unique qualities of their natal beach while still in the nest and/or during their first trip from the nest to the sea.Whether they actually use this ability to navigate is the next idea being investigated. Early experiments seem to show that sea turtles have the ability to detect magnetic fields. Using these two characteristics, a sea turtle may be able to determine its latitude and longitude, enabling it to navigate virtually anywhere. The newest theory on how sea turtles navigate is that they can detect both the angle and intensity of the earth’s magnetic field.There are several theories as to how they locate this area, but none have yet been proven. How are sea turtles able to return to the same beach to nest? Which is the most common sea turtle? Which is the most endangered sea turtle?ġ.Do sea turtles ever lay eggs underwater?.What are the methods used to tag sea turtles?.How are sea turtles tracked in the ocean and how long can they be tracked for?.How big was the largest sea turtle ever recorded?.How long can a sea turtle hold its breath? And why do they drown?.What do sea turtles eat and do they have teeth?.How do sea turtles locate the ocean while they are on the beach?.Why do some researchers say there are seven species of sea turtles and some say there are eight species?.How do the hatchlings emerge from the nest?.What determines the sex of a sea turtle hatchling?.How are sea turtles able to return to the same beach to nest?.Information About Sea Turtles: Frequently Asked Questions