They are then carried by currents to favorable areas in the open ocean, where they grow for several years until they join adult and juvenile turtles at the coastal feeding grounds. While in the open ocean, young green turtles are probably carnivorous and feed on invertebrates such as jellyfish. Some hatchlings never reach the oceans and are snatched up by hungry crabs. Hatchlings may also be disoriented or impeded by obstacles and die from the suns heat. Once in the ocean, sharks and other carnivorous fish eat hatchlings.
Tiger sharks regularly feed on all sizes of green turtles.
T he life span of sea turtles is unknown. Hawaiian green turtles seem to grow very slowly in the wild and may take 40 to 50 years to reach sexual maturity. Male and female green turtles look like they are mature, then the male develops a long tail extending beyond the hind flippers. A female's tail extends only a short distance beyond the end of her shell. G enerally, only female sea turtles leave the ocean after entering it as hatchlings.