Turtles on Ascension Island
In Turtles on Ascension Island, narrator David Attenborough highlights the green sea turtles that travel incredible distances to lay their eggs on the beaches of Ascension Island. A female turtle may swim over 1,000 miles from her feeding grounds without eating for two months. At night, female turtles come ashore to nest, while eggs laid earlier in the season begin to hatch. Newly hatched turtles must quickly reach the ocean to avoid predators. However, their journey is just beginning — most will not survive the next 20 years. Yet, those that do will return to the same beach where they were born, guided by an instinct that scientists still do not fully understand. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Why do green sea turtles travel such long distances to lay eggs?
A: They return to the beaches where they were born, a behavior known as natal homing.
Q: What challenges do baby turtles face when they hatch?
A: They are vulnerable to predators, exhaustion, and strong currents that can drown them.
Q: How do scientists think turtles navigate across the ocean?
A: Scientists believe they use Earth’s magnetic field to find their way back to their birthplace.
More Like This
In The Olive Ridley Turtle on Land and Sea, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows a sea turtle off the coast of Costa Rica, resting after a 1,500-mile journey to lay her eggs. She comes to rest on the same beach where she herself hatched many years before. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Ridley Turtles Guided by the Moon, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how the Moon influences the ocean, specifically when Ridley turtles come to lay their eggs. The turtles come during the first or last quarter of the Moon so that the ocean is weaker and less likely to uncover their eggs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In On Turtle Rock, narrator Sir David Attenborough visits Turtle Rock, a special place in the tropical waters near Borneo. So many turtles have visited the rock over the years, they have created a hollow at the top of the rock. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Two Types of Turtles, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores two types of sea turtles — flatback and Ridley turtles. Both lay their eggs in the sand on the coast, but their strategies and survival rates differ. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In The Olive Ridley Turtle on Land and Sea, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows a sea turtle off the coast of Costa Rica, resting after a 1,500-mile journey to lay her eggs. She comes to rest on the same beach where she herself hatched many years before. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Ridley Turtles Guided by the Moon, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how the Moon influences the ocean, specifically when Ridley turtles come to lay their eggs. The turtles come during the first or last quarter of the Moon so that the ocean is weaker and less likely to uncover their eggs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In On Turtle Rock, narrator Sir David Attenborough visits Turtle Rock, a special place in the tropical waters near Borneo. So many turtles have visited the rock over the years, they have created a hollow at the top of the rock. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Two Types of Turtles, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores two types of sea turtles — flatback and Ridley turtles. Both lay their eggs in the sand on the coast, but their strategies and survival rates differ. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.