Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Caretta caretta — Cheloniidae

31–45 inches

IUCN

Vulnerable

Federal (US)

Threatened

Virginia

Threatened

VWAP Tier

Tier IIa

Habitat

marine

Found in Virginia

Coastal plain

How to identify

Very large, 31–45 inches
Reddish-brown carapace with five or more pairs of costal scutes
Massive head relative to body size
Two pairs of prefrontal scales between the eyes
Marine and coastal habitat only

About this species

The loggerhead is Virginia's most commonly encountered sea turtle, using the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters as foraging habitat. They are large, reddish-brown turtles with massive heads and powerful jaws. Loggerheads do not nest in Virginia but are regularly stranded on beaches, particularly in autumn when they can become cold-stunned as water temperatures drop.

Often confused with

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle

Kemp's ridleys are smaller with a nearly circular gray-olive shell; loggerheads are larger and reddish-brown

Did you know

"Loggerheads navigate thousands of miles using Earth's magnetic field and often return to the very beach where they were born to nest — decades later."

SERC rehabilitation notes If a stranded loggerhead is found on a Virginia beach, contact the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team (VAST) immediately at 757-385-7575. Do not attempt to move the animal.

Sightings & citizen science

Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.

View Loggerhead Sea Turtle observations on iNaturalist ↗

Found one injured?

If you've found an injured or displaced Loggerhead Sea Turtle in Virginia, our triage guide walks you through what to do.

Triage guide →