Green Sea Turtle ‒ Hatching

All species of sea turtles have a unique way of reproduction. Females spend their entire life in oceans without any contact with dry land. It changes only during reproduction. Sea turtles like majority of other reptiles lay eggs. When the time comes, females are able to find their way through immense oceans to the very beach they bere born in. There, for the first time since their birth, enter dry land and start crawling up the beach. They do it at night because during daytime, they would be quickly cooked in their shels by the strong tropical sun. When they are high enough to be above tide line they start digging a hole in the sand using their flippers. It is extremely exhausting and it takes them several hours. When the hole is ready, they lay several dozens of eggs in it and cover them again with sand in such way that it is impossible to find later where the hole was. Exhausted females return to the water quite often with the first rays of morning sun. Eggs have to develop without any further help. Newly hatched sea turtles not only have to get out of their leathery egg but also through a thick layer of sand. Then there is a long way to ocean right at the place where their mother entered it many years ago.