Green Sea Turtle

Photo: Norbert VERNEAU · CC BY-NC-ND

Green turtles are so abundant on the plateau that multiple individuals are encountered on virtually every dive, grazing on seagrass and resting on coral heads throughout the protected lagoon. Mayotte hosts one of the most important nesting populations in the western Indian Ocean, with females returning to beaches on Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre each season between November and March. The protection afforded by the marine park has allowed the population to recover measurably over the past two decades, and turtles show little fear of quiet divers approaching at their level.