Once the hole is dug she lays up to 120 eggs, which are 40-42 mm in diameter, and covers the nest with her hind flippers. A female loggerhead turtle usually lays 3-4 nests per season with a gap of 14 days between nest building. A single female will only nest every second or third year. The eggs incubate for 31-65 days and usually all the eggs hatch around the same time. The hatchlings must move quickly from their nest to the ocean to avoid the numerous hungry predators awaiting them on the beach.
Hatchlings avoid some predation by hatching and moving to the ocean at night.
Baby turtles can find their way to the sea by heading towards the light because the ocean is the brightest source of light at night. The ones that make it safely to ocean will be leaving behind their only terrestrial life stage. Back to the List Current Status and Threats Atlantic loggerhead turtles are considered threatened in the United States. The largest population, of about 15,0000 loggerhead turtles, is in the Greater Antilles and the eastern United States. However, the Carolinas record a three percent decrease in the occurrence of C. caretta each year.