Loggerhead Sea Turtle Description Loggerhead sea turtles are ancient, air-breathing reptiles that have adapted to life at sea by developing a streamlined shape and powerful flippers to propel them through the water. Loggerheads get their name from their large heads, which can measure 10 inches across. Adult loggerheads weigh 200 to 350 pounds, and their shells are 33 to 40 inches long. They live in subtropical and tropical waters along the margins of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
Males spend their lifetime in the ocean, while females come ashore only to lay their eggs.
Although the loggerhead is Florida's most common sea turtle, it is a federally threatened species. Increased human activities, development and sea walls built to prevent erosion along Florida's coast are eliminating or degrading nesting habitat. In addition, thousands of loggerheads drown each year in shrimp nets not equipped with Turtle Excluder Devices. The Nature Conservancy helps protect coastal beaches that provide nesting areas for loggerhead sea turtles. In Florida, the Conservancy's Blowing Rocks Preserve protects one mile of critical nesting habitat for loggerheads and other species of sea turtles.