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Photo Credit: Lisa Miceli

As sea turtles continue to grow, we refer to them as juvenile sea turtles. This means that they are larger than hatchlings and are on their way to becoming a mature adult. As a juvenile, they are similar to an adolescent.

JUVENILE FACTS

• Typically omnivores, meaning they eat both plants, such as seagrass and animals, such as crustaceans
• Gender of juvenile turtles cannot be determined by visual characteristics
• Associate with floating sargassum seaweed that gets trapped within the North Atlantic Gyre

During this life stage, juvenile sea turtles will begin to explore different near-shore habitats. In the North Atlantic, this includes places like the Azores (off the coast of Portugal), the Indian River Lagoon (up in Central Florida), and even around here off the coast of Broward County.