Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

This is the most commonly encountered sea turtle in NC waters. They are distinctively orange-brown colored and are quite large (although not as large as Leatherbacks). Barnacles usually cover their shells as seen below. These turtles were seen on various Brian Patteson pelagic birding trips off of Cape Hatteras, NC.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Doing the backstroke.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Courtship

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

While we saw tens of turtles today, this individual exhibited some very strange behavior as seen in the sequence of the next 6 photos.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

It appeared to rear up out of the water a few times.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

And, instead of diving, it charged the boat!

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Off Hatteras, NC
18 Feb 2012

Wanting to alleviate any stress to the turtle, we carefully maneuvered away from it.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

Two Loggerhead Turtles apparently in courtship

Off Cape Hatteras, NC
5 March 2006
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

Two Loggerhead Turtles apparently in courtship

Off Cape Hatteras, NC
5 March 2006
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Two Loggerhead Turtles apparently in courtship

Off Cape Hatteras, NC
5 March 2006>
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

A different Loggerhead Turtle

Off Cape Hatteras, NC
5 March 2006

Yet another Loggerhead Turtle

Off Cape Hatteras, NC
5 March 2006
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Off Hatteras, NC
19 Feb 2005
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Off Hatteras, NC
19 Feb 2005

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Created on ... July 18, 2005 | Update on ... March 7, 2006 | jspippen@duke.edu