3 Fun Facts About the Sea Turtles of the Turks & Caicos

Providenciales is home to many turtle-themed geographical landmarks, including Turtle Cove Marina and Turtle Tail. Once you explore the magical underwater world surrounding these islands, the inspiration behind the names becomes clear. Sea Turtles are native to these islands and make stunning appearances regularly, to the delight of locals and tourists alike.

Turtles are as old as dinosaurs

Turtles have been around for more than 200 million years and made their original appearance around the time of the dinosaurs. With flippers perfect for swimming through the warm Caribbean waters, sea turtles evolved into a perfect marriage between amphibians and reptiles.

Turtles can hold their breath for 7 hours

These beautiful creatures are nature’s perfect natural scuba divers; because most sea turtles are ectothermic (cold-blooded), they can submerge their bodies for long periods without taking a breath.

The most common sea turtle in TCI is the Hawksbill

The Hawksbill turtle is a critically endangered species and is often considered some of the most beautiful turtles in existence due to their varying colored shells. A Hawksbill Turtle shell will change depending on the water temperature. Cool, eh?