Swimming with the Turtles

Imagine swimming through refreshing ocean waves with a graceful prehistoric (1) __________. Many people hope to do just this when they snorkel off the shores of the tropical islands (2) __________ green sea turtles make their home.

The Hawaiian sea turtle (or “Hono”) is a symbol of peace and good luck to the Hawaiian people. Out of respect for this ancient creature, laws have been enacted to (3) __________ them. It is illegal to touch or harass them.

Green sea turtles have smooth shells with shades of black, brown, gray, green, (4) __________ yellow. The soft bottom shell is yellowish-white. So why are they called green sea turtles? The largest of all hard-shelled sea turtles, green sea turtles feed exclusively on plants, (5) __________ as seaweed and algae. Scientists believe their diet contributes to their green fat, for which they are named. They are the only herbivorous marine turtle.

Habitats of green sea turtles include nesting beaches, the open ocean, and coastal areas for feeding. Females return to the same beaches where they (6) __________ born to lay their eggs. Hatchlings swim to offshore areas for feeding for several years. Once they (7) __________ a certain age, they return to coastal areas to live as adult sea turtles.

Green sea (8) __________ are not overly fearful of people, although they can swim up to 35 miles per hour to escape perceived danger. They are endangered in many areas of the world due to the harvesting of eggs and adult turtles. Turtles also face the danger of becoming accidentally trapped in gillnets and other fishing gear. They are subject to a disease that causes tumors that interfere with the animals’ swimming, vision, feeding, and ability to escape (9) __________ predators.

 Ongoing research and legislation seek to ensure that green sea turtles will remain part of the tropical ecosystem for many years to (10) __________.