Loggerhead-sea-turtle

Sea turtle with an oval shell composed of plates. The adult can reach up to 120 cm in length, with a maximum weight of 150 Kg. It has a reddish-brown dorsal side and a cream/yellow ventral colour. They are solitary animals occurring very close to the coast, and occasionally in estuarine areas and river mouths. With a varied diet, these turtles feed on jellyfish, sponges, molluscs, fish and crustaceans. Highlight should be given to the swimming crab (Polybius henslowii), as its favourite prey off mainland Portugal, making our waters a chosen foraging and feeding ground. Nevertheless, Portuguese beaches do not provide nesting sites. Its distribution comprises warm, tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. It is the most stranded sea turtle species in mainland Portugal.