Green Sea Turtle

Photo: cbgodfrey · CC BY-NC

Green sea turtles are the defining species of Tortuga Negra Bay, foraging on seagrass and algae in the bay's shallows year-round and congregating in their dozens during mating season from December to May. The Galapagos green turtle is a distinct subspecies found only in this archipelago, reaching larger sizes than most Pacific populations. During mating aggregations divers may find themselves surrounded by mating pairs, resting turtles, and competitive males stacked three-deep on a single female in an extraordinary display of wildlife spectacle.