Wildlife In Guatemala: An Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Hatchling Is Seen Moving Towards The Ocean Royalty-Free Stock Image

An Olive ridley sea turtle hatchling is seen moving towards the Ocean after being released by marine biologists working on preserving the species, in the Las Lisas beach, in Santa Rosa, Guatemala. The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world. The turtle is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but also in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This turtle and the related Kemp's ridley sea turtle are best known for their unique synchronised mass nestings called arribadas, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs. Hatchlings are dark gray with a pale yolk scar, but appear all black when wet. Growing to about 61cm (2ft) in carapace length (measured along the curve), the olive ridley sea turtle gets its common name from its olive-colored carapace, which is heart-shaped and rounded. Males and females grow to the same size, but females have a slightly more rounded carapace as compared to males. Females return to the same beach from where they hatched, to lay their eggs. The olive ridley is predominantly carnivorous. Common prey items include tunicates like salps and sea squirts), starfish, sea urchins, bryozoans, squid, bivalves, snails, barnacles, shrimp, crabs, rock lobsters, and sipunculid worms. Additionally, consumption of jellyfish and both adult fish like phoeroides and fish eggs may be indicative of pelagic or open ocean feeding. The olive ridley is also known to feed on filamentous algae in areas devoid of other food sources. Captive studies have indicated some level of cannibalistic behavior in this species. The olive ridley is classified as vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.