Reptile
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys olivacea
Photo: Drashokk · Visakhapatnam, India (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is the smallest and most abundant sea turtle in the world, yet its Vulnerable status is a reminder of how quickly fortune can reverse for a species at sea. Found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, it passes through the offshore waters of Trinidad and Tobago as part of wide-ranging Atlantic populations. Its name comes from the distinctive olive-grey hue of its heart-shaped carapace.
Identification
Adults typically measure 60–70 cm in carapace length and weigh between 35 and 50 kg, making the Olive Ridley the smallest of the seven living sea turtle species. The carapace is slightly wider at the rear than the front and bears 6–9 lateral scutes on each side, more than most other species, giving it a distinctive, almost rounded profile. Colouration ranges from grey-green to olive on top and pale yellow-white on the underside. Like all sea turtles, females return to the beach where they hatched to nest, guided by the earth's magnetic field across thousands of kilometres of open ocean.
Range and Habitat
In Trinidad and Tobago, the Olive Ridley is considered an offshore species, encountered in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone and surrounding Caribbean and Atlantic waters. It does not have a significant documented nesting presence on T&T beaches. The Olive Ridley is globally famous for its spectacular mass-nesting events called "arribadas", in which tens of thousands of females emerge simultaneously on a single beach over just a few nights. However, these arribada events are restricted to a handful of beaches in the Pacific and Indian Oceans; Atlantic populations, including individuals that range through T&T waters, nest individually rather than in mass aggregations.
Conservation
The species faces significant pressure from accidental capture in fishing gear (bycatch), particularly in longline, trawl, and gill-net fisheries operating across its range. Marine pollution, including plastic debris that can be mistaken for prey, poses a chronic threat, as does coastal development that degrades potential nesting beaches throughout the wider Caribbean. In T&T, all sea turtles are fully protected under the Conservation of Wildlife Act (COWA) and are not game species. The Olive Ridley is also listed as an Environmentally Sensitive Species under the Environmental Management Act and on CITES Appendix I.
Threats
- Bycatch in longline, trawl, and gill-net fisheries
- Marine pollution and plastic ingestion
- Coastal development degrading nesting beaches
- Historical egg harvesting and direct take
- Climate change affecting sex ratios and nesting habitat
Conservation status
This species has a dedicated entry in the Biodiversity Atlas with full legal and conservation context.
See Olive Ridley Sea Turtle in Biodiversity →