Sea turtles, also called marine turtles, can be found grazing on the floors of all oceans except for those in the polar regions. These reptiles have been on Earth for more than 100 million years making them one of the oldest animal families on the planet. Sea turtles can stay under water for up to an incredible five hours, and can swim at speeds up to as fast as 22 mph. Unlike land turtles, marine turtles cannot retreat into their shell. It takes decades for sea turtles to reach reproductive maturity, then they can migrate up to thousands of miles to reach beaches, where mama will lay a clutch of 30-350 eggs. After the nest has been camouflaged, mama heads back out to sea, leaving her eggs to fend for themselves. Of the seven sea turtle species, six exist in the United States, and all are endangered. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, out of the seven species of sea turtles, two are classed as Critically Endangered. Image: CC: @alexkyddphoto Instagram, Alex Kydd ................................................................................................................................................................. #science #biology #nature #animals #news