Green Sea Turtle

Photo: Natalya Cristine Miranda · CC BY-NC

Green turtles congregate at Ilha do Pelado to rest and feed on the abundant seagrass and algae beds that carpet the sandy shallows. Their preferred resting spots — flat coral outcrops at 10 to 14 meters — become predictable encounter points for divers who approach slowly and maintain distance. The population is bolstered by the broader Ilha Grande Bay marine protected area, which includes critical nesting beaches within a few kilometers.