Atlantic loggerheads travel long distances along the coast, but move to the open ocean to sleep. They just don't feel safe sleeping near the shore. These sea turtles are mainly carnivores and eat sponges, jellyfish, mussels, clams, oysters, shrimp, and horseshoe crabs. It is the powerful jaws of loggerheads that allow them to easily crush the hard shells of their prey. Back to the List Reproduction C. caretta reach sexual maturity when their shells are at least 50 cm in length.
Loggerheads migrate to nesting sites by following vegetation laden ocean currents.
Loggerheads nest the furthest north of all the sea turtles, as far as North Carolina. All of the nesting sites are found either north of the Tropic of Cancer or south of the Tropic of Capricorn with exception of western Caribbean populations. Loggerheads used to nest on beaches from Virginia to the Gulf Coast, but habitat loss resulting from human development, restricted their nesting sites to the coast of Delaware, and such places as Costa Rica and Cuba. Mating occurs in surface waters offshore from the nesting beaches. In the spring and summer female loggerheads come ashore at night, in the flood of spring tides, to lay their eggs.