When we picture sea turtles in the wild, it's easy to envision them as armored warriors—their hard, resilient shells serving as near-impenetrable shields against oceanic threats like sharks. These ...

The sea creature arrived at San Diego's Birch Aquarium in 2014 Ingrid Vasquez is a Digital News Writer at PEOPLE. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor in Journalism.

In cartoons, when a turtle is spooked, it retreats into and closes up its shell. While used for comic effect, this imagery is based in fact – although not all turtles are capable of this protective ...

"This very young juvenile would typically be spending his day eating small crustaceans that thrive in seaweed mats circling the Gulf of Mexico until it is large enough to dive down to the reef," the ...

Green sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act. A photo recently posted on social media showing a sea turtle with its shell removed has led state officials to emphasize the proper ...

The shells of chelonians—think turtles, tortoises, and sea turtles—grow in layers, keeping a time-stamped record of environmental conditions. Uranium has shown up in the layers of turtles’ and ...

There are many threats to sea turtles, but most of them come from humans. Dangers may range from getting entangled in fishing gear to losing their habitats from beach erosion and human development.