In our list of top ten olive ridley sea turtle facts, we'll cover everything from their jellyfish-filled diets to their synchronised nesting habits. These small but mighty turtles are the most abundant sea turtle species, yet their lives remain full of mystery. Be it their unpredictable migrations or their unknown lifespans, read on to uncover the secrets hiding under their heart-shaped shells…
Scientific name
Let's begin our top ten olive ridley sea turtle facts with some introductions. First up, their scientific name. Lepidochelys olivacea doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it holds a greater meaning: 'lepidos' means scale, and 'chelys' means turtle in Greek. It might be a mouthful, but the name 'olive ridley' comes from their olive-green-hued, heart-shaped shells.
World travellers
Olive ridley turtles aren't exactly homebodies. Found in warm coastal waters across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, they're mostly pelagic creatures, spending the majority of their time in the open ocean. During the breeding season, however, they head to shallower waters.
Varied diets
Like their leatherback cousins, olive ridley turtles are omnivorous. They primarily snack on jellyfish, but they're not picky eaters; their diet also includes crabs, shrimp, seaweed and algae. These determined diners will even dive to depths of 150m to find food. That's called earning your meal…
Small but mighty
The best things come in small packages, right? Olive ridley turtles take the title of the second smallest sea turtle, reaching about two feet in length and weighing up to 11lbs. The only sea turtle species smaller than them is their close relative, the Kemp's ridley sea turtle.
Unknown lifespans
Unlike other sea turtle species, which are known to live for 50 years or more, the exact lifespan of an olive ridley remains a mystery. However, scientists estimate that they live between 30 and 50 years, enjoying similarly long lives to their relatives.
A tough start
The ocean can be a dangerous place, especially for turtle hatchlings. A staggering 90% of baby olive ridleys don't make it past their first few days, thanks to predators including birds, crabs and fish. And the dangers don't stop there. For those that survive into adulthood, the main threat becomes large shark species - in particular, tiger sharks have acquired a taste for olive ridley sea turtles.
A distinctive look
Olive ridley sea turtles like to stand out from the crowd. Differing from other species - like the smooth-shelled green sea turtle - the olive ridley turtle shell has a rough texture with a varied pattern of scutes (bone plates), creating a distinctive heart shape. Their shells remain olive-green throughout their lives, and their undersides are pale yellow, providing a natural camouflage whether gliding through the open ocean or resting on the sea floor.
Nesting rituals
Here's another fascinating fact about olive ridley sea turtles: female olive ridleys return to the exact beach where they hatched to lay their eggs. But the really cool part? They don't do it alone. Waves of female turtles turn up in their thousands to nest simultaneously, with each female laying around 100 eggs per clutch. This phenomenon is known as arribada, the biggest of which happens on India's Orissa coast, followed by Mexico and Costa Rica.
Sea miles
Many sea turtle species follow strict migration routes. Olive ridley turtles are a little more spontaneous, however. Their migrations are unpredictable, and they sometimes travel thousands of miles a year, moving between different feeding and nesting areas. Talk about wanderlust.
Conservation status
Sadly, despite being the most abundant sea turtle species, olive ridleys are listed as vulnerable under the Endangered Species Act. Humans pose the biggest threat to their survival, whether that's from poaching (their meat is used for turtle soup), bycatch (when they're accidentally captured in fishing gear), coastal habitat destruction or pollution.
If you enjoyed this blog, you may also enjoy Our Top Ten Pufferfish Facts, Our Top Ten Green Sea Turtle Facts or Our Top Ten Hammerhead Shark Facts.
