Flatback Sea Turtle

Natator depressus

Named for its relatively flat, smooth shell, the Flatback Sea Turtle is found primarily
in the shallow coastal waters of northern Australia and neighboring regions.

Meet the Flatback Sea Turtle

Unlike most sea turtles, Flatbacks have a remarkably limited range. All known Flatback breeding sites are in Australia, where they favor shallow coastal waters, bays and soft-bottomed habitats rather than spending much of their lives far out in the open ocean.

Photo: Lyndie Malan / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

The Journey Continues

Female Flatback Sea Turtles return to beaches and offshore islands around northern Australia to nest. Their nesting range stretches from Queensland across the Northern Territory to Western Australia.

Flatbacks lay fewer eggs per nest than other sea turtles, but their eggs—and the hatchlings that emerge from them—are comparatively large. Unlike many other sea turtles, young Flatbacks remain primarily over the continental shelf rather than beginning life with a long open-ocean dispersal.

Photo: Lyndie Malan / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Built for the Journey

  • Coastal Specialists

    Flatbacks favor shallow coastal waters and soft-bottomed habitats, giving them one of the most geographically concentrated lifestyles among sea turtles.

  • Soft-Prey Hunters

    Their diet includes sea cucumbers, soft corals, jellyfish and other soft-bodied marine animals.

  • Australian Nesters

    Every known Flatback breeding site is in Australia, making protection of Australia's northern nesting beaches especially important to the species.

A Future Worth Protecting

Flatback Sea Turtles face threats from habitat loss, marine debris, entanglement in fishing gear and disturbance of their coastal and nesting environments. Because their breeding range is concentrated in Australia, protecting these habitats is especially important to their long-term survival.

Learn How You Can Help