World Turtle Day: Fascinating facts about these sea creatures

Observed every year on May 23, World Turtle Day celebrates turtles and tortoises while raising awareness about their conservation. These ancient reptiles have existed for more than 200 million years, surviving dramatic changes on Earth with some truly extraordinary adaptations and behaviours. (unsplash)

Leatherback Sea Turtle Can Dive Deeper Than Most Marine Animals: Leatherback turtles can dive over 1,000 metres deep in search of jellyfish, making them among the deepest diving reptiles in the world. (unsplash)

Sea Turtle Can Navigate Using Earth’s Magnetic Field: Sea turtles can sense the Earth’s magnetic field, helping them travel thousands of kilometres across oceans and return to the same nesting beaches. (unsplash)

Some Turtles Glow Under UV Light: Researchers discovered that certain sea turtles show biofluorescence, glowing green or red under blue light in the ocean. (facebook: carol ellis)

Temperature Decides the Gender of a Baby Turtle: For many turtle species, warmer sand temperatures produce more females, while cooler nests produce more males. (unsplash)

Turtle Shells Are Part of Their Skeleton: A turtle’s shell is not separate armour, it is actually fused to their spine and ribs, making it a living part of their body. (unsplash)

Some Turtles Can Breathe Through Their Backsides: Certain freshwater turtle species can absorb oxygen through specialised body parts near their tails, allowing them to survive underwater for long periods. (wikimedia commons)