Watch our turtle mini-movies.

Turtle Facts: Turtles live around hundred years. Turtles from Palawan migrate to Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.  So the turtle in "Finding Nemo" movie came likely from the Philippines. 

Interestingly, turtles always return to breed exactly where they were born, to the exact beach they started their life as hatchlings.  Unfortunately, the beaches they knew as babies became harbors, villages, resorts, leaving no space for these magnificent creatures to nest and reproduce.

Each nesting female lays between 50 and 150 eggs in each clutch and returns 2-4 times during one breeding season.  She takes 1-3 year rest (depending on species) before returning to the same place to nest again.

Eggs take 50-60 days to hatch.  Depending on sand temperature, the eggs develop as male (lower temperature) or female.  Hatchlings emerge usually at sunset and immediately run into the water.  Female has to lay 2500 eggs in order to provide replacement for herself; Out of 2500 eggs two turtles will reach breeding age.

Hatchery offers solution to many problems.  Without it, eggs are destroyed by predators, egg-poachers and floods, hatchlings are attacked by predators even before entering the ocean.  Hatchery increases the number of hatchlings from 1% to 85% of all laid eggs.