Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Loggerhead Sea TurtleLoggerhead Sea TurtleLoggerhead Sea TurtleLoggerhead Sea Turtle

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Caretta caretta

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
26 Verified records at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), loggerhead turtle or loggerhead, is a species of sea turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) in carapace length when fully grown. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing about 200 kg (440 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons (lower shells) than the females. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Loggerhead Sea Turtle sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 26 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Green Turtle
LC

Green Turtle

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Chelonia mydas

10–20% · With luck
Hawksbill
CR

Hawksbill

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Eretmochelys imbricata

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
20–30
Feb
<5
Mar
5–10
Apr
<5
May
10–20
Jun
5–10
Jul
<5
Aug
10–20
Sep
<5
Oct
20–30
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
2 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
3 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
4 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
6 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
7 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
8 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
9 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
10 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
11 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
12 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
13 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
14 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
15 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
16 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
17 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
18 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Loggerhead Sea Turtle in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Loggerhead Sea Turtle sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 26 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Loggerhead Sea Turtle in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for Loggerhead Sea Turtle in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.

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