Green Sea Turtle

Photo: graetenhund · CC BY-NC

Green sea turtles are resident at La Catedral, often found resting on ledges beneath the arch or grazing on the algae-covered walls of the chamber during the day. Easter Island is an important reproductive habitat for green turtles in the southeastern Pacific, and individuals here are comfortable with slow, non-threatening divers. Their long lifespans and site fidelity mean that individual turtles at La Catedral may have been using this arch for decades, making them ecological fixtures of the site.