09/30/2026
MATING: WHERE THE NEXT GENERATION BEGINS 🐢🌊
Long before a female sea turtle crawls ashore to nest, reproduction begins at sea.
During mating, males use their long, curved claws on the front flippers to hold onto the female. But what happens afterward is even more fascinating: females can store viable s***m, allowing them to fertilize multiple clutches throughout a nesting season.
And there may be more than one father. Multiple paternity occurs in sea turtles, meaning hatchlings within the same clutch can sometimes have different fathers. Its frequency varies among species and populations.
One encounter beneath the surface can therefore contribute to multiple nests and hundreds of eggs. 🐢🌊
Lee, P.L.M. (2008), Phillips et al (2013), Wright et al (2012).
📸: Alumni and Expeditioner: Katie Lowry
