Green sea turtle at dusk, Mayotte, Indian Ocean

© Gabriel Barathieu/Biosphoto/Minden Pictures

Green sea turtle at dusk, Mayotte, Indian Ocean

Named for the layer of green fat under its shell, this large sea turtle inhabits tropical and subtropical seas around the world, including here in the Indian Ocean. They can stay underwater for up to five hours, but their feeding dives usually only last five minutes or less. Similar to other sea turtles, they migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched.