Green Turtles (chelonia mydas) are found worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical waters in seaweed-rich coral reefs and inshore seagrass pastures. Adult greens feed mostly on seaweeds and seagrasses although immature greens are carnivorous.

Characteristics include:

• 4 pairs of large scales on either side (coastal scales)

• Does not have thick overlapping scales

• Carapace protective, shell-like covering on the back of the turtle)high domed

• Adult carapace approx. 1.0m

• Colour light to dark green with dark mottling

There are seven distinct genetic stocks in Australia, including the Coral Bay area with the coastal North-West Shelf stock off the Pilbara coast being the largest group found in Western Australia.

There are between 20,000-30,000 Green turtles in Western Australia - being the most common species of turtle in WA.

The numbers of Green turtles that nest each season in Western Australia is affected by the El Nino, so numbers visiting a breeding beach can vary between a few dozens to hundreds in very poor seasons and many thousands during the good season. Their nesting areas are found on the sandy mainland beaches of the Ningaloo and in season you can book an extra tour to see this.

Resident adult greens can be seen along the edge of the reefs and cliffs at Coral Bay. You can take a stroll along the beach, following the lagoon, for about 2km and there are a couple of wonderful areas on the rocks where you can sit and watch them. As part of your 11 day tour, if you choose to go on the quad bike tour, this includes viewing the turtles. There is also a chance you will see one just snorkelling at the main beach in Coral Bay.

The larger sized, mainly female adult turtles are harvested for food by Aboriginal people living along the northern coast. If turtle eggs are readily accessible, they will also be collected. Expatriate Torres Strait Islanders and other Indigenous 'salt-water' people living off-country in Western Australian communities such as the Dampier-Karratha area are also known to be hunters of green turtles.
Indonesian fishers are also known exploiters of green turtles in Australian waters.

Legal commercial turtle harvesting took place in Western Australia from as early as 1870. Between 1931 and 1936 a turtle soup factory operated at Cossack (near Karratha). It is estimated that up to 2,500 large green turtles were taken annually from around the Dampier Archipelago and Montebello Islands. In the 1940's-1950's an unregulated green turtle harvest continued to supply soup canneries in Perth and Cossack.

Between 1958 and 1973, a commercial turtle fishery authorised by State fisheries legislation operated along the north-west coast. Green turtles were taken for harvest from Coral Bay to the Montebello Islands. It is estimated that at least 60,000 green turtles were caught. Commercial products were exported to mainly European markets.

Migrating adult greens are known to cross international boundaries. For example, breeding female green turtles tagged and released from nesting beaches in Western Australia have been captured in Indonesia.

This page not only has a lot of information about marine turtles, but have a look at my other related topics including:

• Life-cycle of Marine Turtles

• Marine Turtles at Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef

• Loggerhead Turtles

• Hawksbill Turtles



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