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Flatback Turtle

Flatback turtles earn their name from — you guessed it — their relatively flat shells! These loafing sea turtles rarely travel far from their tropical waters off the coast of Australia. They’ve even been featured on Australian postage stamps!  

 

Flatback turtles are oceanic homebodies, rarely leaving their residential waters in Australia. Within Australia’s coasts, these sea turtles prefer to stick to the northern waters of the continent, although they have been known to brave the occasional journey to Papua New Guinea to feed. While in their home waters, flatback turtles spend their time basking in shallow areas close to shore or in bays with brackish water. These gentle giants can weigh up to 68 kilograms (150 pounds) and grow to be almost 1 meter (3 feet) feet long! 

These sea turtles are strong swimmers, likely because they are relatively large when they hatch. Unlike other sea turtles, however, flatback turtles do not explore the open seas past the continental shelf as part of their development. Instead, these animals have been observed nestling under ledges or between rocks to nap. Younger flatback turtles sleep closer to the water surface. However, their strong swimming skills may help them avoid attacks from sharks and killer whales.  

Flatback sea turtles mostly feed on small fish in their surrounding habitats. They feast on sea cucumbers and mollusks, jellyfish, and prawns, and generally avoid vegetation unless absolutely necessary.  

 

 

Flatback turtles are not currently endangered because there is not enough information on their numbers. Despite this, some threats to these creatures include offshore oil and gas rigs, subsequent oil spills, light pollution, habitat destruction, and increased human disturbances. Impact assessments on these species help mitigate the risks of these threats.  

 

 

Sea Turtles all around the world are endangered from entanglement in fishing nets, habitat destruction, vessel strikes, and more. Even worse, climate change and oil spills are also harming these magnificent creatures. To help protect flatback turtles and other sea turtle species, we must preserve the habitats these creatures need to survive. While Oceana does not campaign in Australia, our global work to protect our climate, reduce ocean pollution, and rebuild abundant oceans helps ensure a future for sea turtles everywhere. Learn more about our work here. 

 

 

 

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