ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve. A Loggerhead Turtle returns to the sea after laying her eggs on Otter Island.




Image ID: nerr0016, NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve Collection
Location: 45 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina

Source:
The NOAA Photo Library http://www.photolib.noaa.gov
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA) http://www.noaa.gov/


Comments
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The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. Caretta caretta is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. Caretta caretta is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea.
Order: Testudines > Suborder: Cryptodira > Superfamily: Chelonioidea > Family: Cheloniidae > Subfamily: Carettinae > Genus: Caretta >
Species: Caretta caretta