By James Call

Illustration by Lizabeth West

The loggerhead sea turtle is the most common marine turtle to visit Florida, nesting on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Adults posses a large head, broad jaws and a reddish-brown carapace that is elongated and heart-shaped. A strong horny beak, thicker than other sea turtles’, helps it to eat hard shell animals like crabs and clams. An adult loggerhead weighs between 250 to 400 pounds and grows to more than 4 feet in length. The loggerhead has been on earth for millions of years, and although federally protected, its numbers appear to be diminishing.

The loggerhead nests along the south east coast of the United States but migrate throughout the Carribean, Gulf of Mexico and as far north as Massachusetts. Courtship and mating takes place during migration from feeding to breeding grounds. Most females nest 2-3 times per season from May to August, laying up to 190 golf ball size eggs each time. Though incubation time varies with latitude, the average time in Florida is 68 days.

Hatchlings emerge at night. In a group effort they dig their way out of an 18-inch deep nest. After hatchlings enter the ocean human contact with them is rare, and very little is known of their life history. Loggerhead turtles were added to the U.S. Endangered Species list in 1978.