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Turtles of the Delta

Marine turtles have been in existence for more than 100 million years. These reptiles have survived climate changes, natural predators and the extinction of the dinosaurs. Sea turtles are important for cultural, ecological and economic reasons, but modern day human activities are destroying turtle populations at an ever increasing rate. These ocean dwelling creatures spend the vast majority of their time at sea, but females come ashore to lay their eggs and the immature individuals of certain species forage close to shore. Only seven types of sea turtles nest or source food in deltas around the globe.

Olive Ridley Turtle and Kemp's Ridley Turtle
- Olive Ridley turtles are found in the harbor delta of the Sundarbans National Park in coastal Orissa, India. In Hindu mythology, turtles are believed to be the incarnations of gods; fishing communities along the Orissa coast typically do not harvest or eat the eggs or flesh of this turtle. According to the World Turtle Trust, large-scale nesting of Olive Ridley turtles occurs near the mouth of the Rushikulya River and these nesting sites remain unharmed by the local people. The olive ridley turtle also nests in the Tana Delta in Kenya. The Kemp's ridleys nests along the Louisiana coastline towards the Mississippi River Delta.
Loggerhead Sea Turtles
- Loggerhead turtles are considered to inhabit oceanic waters, but the immature specimens remain closer to shore, foraging for food over the continental shelf. Aerial surveys have shown large numbers of young loggerhead turtles in the western Mediterranean. These young turtles are found around the Ebro Delta in Spain. The largest nesting population of the southeastern loggerhead occurs on Cape Island, which lies between the Santee Delta and Bulls Bay along the South Carolina coast. Loggerhead turtles also nest on Iztuzu beach in the Daylan Delta in Turkey and in the Tana Delta on the coast of Kenya.
Green and Hawksbill Turtles
- The green turtle, which is one of the world's seven species of sea turtles, nest in the Tana Delta along the Kenyan coast line and in the Densu Delta along the Ghana coast. The hawksbill turtle will forage over coral reefs, but juvenile and sub-adult animals are frequently seen along the coast of Orissa, with its harbor delta in the Sundarbans National Park.
Leatherback and Flatback Turtles
- Leatherback turtles nest in the Bitoi delta along the coast of Papua New Guinea. The largest nesting site of this sea going turtle species in Papua New Guinea is along the Huon Coast. Leatherback turtles also nest along the Ghana coast, in the Densu Delta. The flatback turtle nests in the coastal delta system at the mouth of the Limmen Bight River, in Australian waters.

Animals & Science