Kindergarten through third grade students in upstate Belton, South Carolina went crazy over loggerheads sea turtles this year. They studied the turtles in great detail, read and even wrote books about them, created sea turtle art and turtle hats, and raised money for the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. Marshall Primary and Belton Elementary(3rd-6th grade) teachers involved in this project deemed March 30, 2007 "Save the Loggerhead Day" at their schools. The children in Marshall Primary School raised $1000 for the program through a book drive and by doing extra chores around their homes and the third graders from Belton Elementary School raised over $2300 for the program through a read-a-thon. Their efforts are incredible!
- Knock over your sand castles and fill in your holes at the beach when you leave. Baby turtles hatch at night and can get stuck in them!
- Pick up trash, like plastic bags or soda cans on the beach and throw them away in a trash can or recycling bin. This will keep them from washing out into the ocean where a turtle might eat them.
- Help keep nests safe. They are marked on the dunes with orange signs. Below the sand lie lots of fragile turtle eggs. Be careful not to step or dig too close to them.
There are different types of sea turtles found in South Carolina. Sea Turtles are some of the largest animals in the ocean, though as babies they are only about the size of a lime! Compare the turtles' average shell length to some objects you may find around your house or school:
Kemp's Ridley
30 in.
Kemp's Ridleys are the smallest of all sea turtles, and are very rare to see.
Hawksbill
36 in.
Hawksbills get their name from their unusual beak-like mouth
Loggerhead
48 in.
The state reptile of South Carolina and the most commonly seen!
Green
60 in.
One of the most well-known sea turtles found throughout the world.
Leatherback
70 in.
The largest type of sea turtles in the world!
Turtles spend much of their time swimming, looking for food and sleeping. They especially look for reefs. Reefs provide shelter for sleeping with overhangs and caves to hide from predators. Reefs are like restaurants for turtles! They can find lots of their favorite foods.
What do turtles like to eat?
Crabs, lobster, urchins, fish, jellyfish and more. Sea turtles have very strong beak-like mouths that are great for biting and crushing even the toughest shells.
Check out that beak-like mouth! Sea turtles have very strong jaws that are great for tearing and crunching tough bites.
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Activity Sheets
Turtle Activity Sheet Download activity sheets here >>
Give it a try at home and then be sure to bring it in with you on your next visit to the aquarium to fill in all the answers!
Coloring by: Kipp Knecht
Age: 5
Print this coloring sheet, color and mail in to the Aquarium, and your artwork may be featured here on the Kid's Page!
Loggerhead Activity Book Download activity sheets here >> (File download may take a moment)
Learn more about our state reptile with puzzles, games, coloring sheets and more in this educational activity book.
Coloring Sheet Download coloring sheet here >> Print and color the turtle habitat coloring sheet, mail it in to the Aquarium, and your artwork may be featured on this page!
Mail To:
South Carolina Aquarium
Attn: Webmaster
100 Aquarium Wharf
Charleston, SC 29401
Materials:
- turtle craft sheet Download PDF here >>
- crayons or markers
- scissors
- glue
- paper plate
- googly eyes (optional)
Instructions:
1) Download and print the PDF craft sheet here. (Click here if you need Adobe Reader®).
2) Color the turtle’s carapace (shell), front and back flippers, and his head.
3) Cut out each of the turtle parts.
4) Glue the carapace to the back of the paper plate and the head and flippers to the underside of the plate.
different types of sea turtles found in South Carolina. Sea Turtles are some of the largest animals in the ocean, though as babies they are only about the size of a lime! Compare the turtles' average shell length to some objects you may find around your house or school:
