The Olive Ridley turtle is so named for the olive-green colour of its shell. These turtles enter South African waters as strays and are the smallest turtles in our waters, weighing 35 kg on average. Olive Ridleys display a behaviour called arribada, where hundreds of thousands of turtles nest on a beach at the same time. They are vulnerable and declining in number.
Olive Ridley turtles are solitary, preferring open ocean.
The Olive Ridley turtle is mostly carnivorous, feeding on jellyfish, crabs and snails.
Olive Ridley turtles are the most abundant turtle species, although it is still vulnerable to population decline.