Sea turtle Coloring Pages

The Easygoing Sea Traveler! Sea turtle!

Sea turtle is a creature that travels casually across the wide ocean, from deep waters to shallow areas. It is part of the turtle family, but unlike land turtles, its legs are shaped like flippers. It carries a big shell on its back and goes on long journeys.

How long have Sea turtles been around?

Friends of the Sea turtle have been on Earth since the time of the dinosaurs, more than 100 million years ago. They are creatures with a very long history who changed their bodies over time to fit the ocean environment.

What kinds of Sea turtle are there?

There are many kinds of Sea turtles all around the world. Let me show you a few of the famous ones!

• Green Sea turtle: They eat seaweed, so their bodies can look a bit green. They are a Sea turtle that you see often.
• Loggerhead Sea turtle: Just like their name says, they are a reddish-brown color. Their big head is their special feature.
• Hawksbill Sea turtle: They have a pointed beak. They are great at eating shrimp, crabs, and tiny creatures hiding in the coral.
• Leatherback Sea turtle: They are the biggest Sea turtle of all. Their shell is made of skin instead of bone, making them a very special Sea turtle.

Where do Sea turtles live?

Sea turtle lives in warm oceans all over the world. They are often in pretty seas with coral reefs or places with lots of seaweed. In Japan, you can meet Sea turtle in warm seas like Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands, too.

What does the Sea turtle eat?

Different kinds of Sea turtles eat different things!

• Green sea turtles are herbivorous Sea turtles that mainly eat seaweed and seagrass.
• Loggerhead sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles eat many different sea creatures, like shellfish, crabs, shrimp, squid, and fish.
• Leatherback sea turtles love jellyfish and gobble them up with their big mouths!

How do Sea turtles breathe?

Sea turtle do not have gills like fish, so they breathe with their lungs just like humans. That is why they need to come up to the water surface now and then to take a breath. However, while they are diving in the sea, they can hold their breath for a very long time. Depending on the species, some Sea turtle can hold their breath for several hours!

Where do they lay their eggs?

Baby Sea turtles are not born in the sea. Female Sea turtles come back to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs. They come up onto the land at night and dig a deep hole in the sand to lay their eggs. Once the baby turtles hatch from their eggs, they start their journey to the sea right away.

How to choose colors

Each type of Sea turtle has slightly different body colors, but colors that blend into the ocean look great. Have fun with the shell colors to make an awesome Sea turtle!

• Basic shell colors: Picking calm colors like greenish brown, dark green, olive green, or dark gray will give it a real Sea turtle feel.
• Belly color: Making the belly a bit lighter than the shell (like pale yellow, cream, or white) helps it look 3D.
• Flippers and head: Color them the same as the shell, or a little lighter. You can also make the flipper parts a bit darker.
• Eyes: Color them in solid black, then ring them with a lighter color (like yellow-green or light yellow) to make them look full of life!

Tips for coloring the shell pattern

A Sea turtle shell usually has scale patterns shaped like hexagons or pentagons. Coloring these with a little care will make it look real!

• Color each section in a slightly different shade: For example, try mixing dark green and light green, or use a little green and brown. This makes the shell look beautiful and detailed.
• Color the lines between the shapes darker: Tracing the lines between the patterns with a dark color makes the shell shape stand out and look 3D.

Show what it looks like underwater!

Sea turtle coloring pages often show the ocean background where the Sea turtle swims. Coloring the ocean will make your Sea turtle look even more full of life!

• Water color: Use light blue or sky blue to make the water look clear. Keep it light where the sun hits, and make it darker in deep water to add depth.
• Bubbles and light rays: Use a white crayon or colored pencil to draw little bubbles and light rays. It will look just like real underwater swimming!
• Coral and seaweed: If there is coral or seaweed in the background, color them with bright colors. Use lots of colors like pink, orange, red, green, and purple to make the seafloor fun and colorful.
• Fish: Feel free to color the fish swimming around the Sea turtle in any colors you like!

Tips for enjoying your coloring page!

The Sea turtle is an ocean traveler, so take your time and color with a calm, gentle feeling. You do not have to use real colors. Color freely with any colors you imagine, thinking, "It would be wonderful if a Sea turtle looked like this!" Create a Sea turtle that is the only one in the whole world!