Recent estimates point to the age of sexual maturity to be between 25 to 30 years or more. These figures take into account average populations of nesting turtles, not just maxima and minima. In captivity on a high protein diet, sexual maturity can be reached in as little as 10 years. This occurs at sea near the nesting beaches. A single female can be courted by several males.
Copulation starts early in the mating season and usually stops when nesting begins.
A female will not usually mate once she has laid her first clutch. It has been hypothesised that the fertilisation of the eggs laid in any one season may have taken place several years before, and that sperm may also be stored and used for clutches in the next season. The pivotal temperature of any location is specific to that population. The hatchlings move quickly down the beach and swim to open sea. Only when it reaches a size that is large enough to avoid being swallowed does it cease being preyed upon by all but sharks.