The Flatback Sea Turtle

Natator depressus

The Flatback sea turtle is somewhat of a mystery for those who study marine biology and oceanic life. The numbers and information surrounding its life are minimal at best due to the turtle’s location in the continental shelf of Australia, which can be physically attributed to the coastal regions of the nation. Flatback turtles are known to populate the central Indo-Pacific region, which can characteristically be defined as the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the central and western Pacific Ocean, and the water borne regions that connect the two general landmasses of Indonesia.

The Flatback sea turtle has many affectionate names. It is known as “barwanjan” to the indigenous people of the Bardi tribe and is known as “madumal” to the Wunbamil tribe. However, it is scientifically known as “Natator depressus”. The name originates in Latin where Natator means “swimmer” and depressus means “flat”, which is mostly in reference to the turtle’s flat shell that gives it the ability to swim at speeds of up to 24 kilometers per hour or approximately 15 miles per hour. However, despite these quick underwater speeds, they are slow to move on land and are defenseless against predators above water. This makes their study particularly difficult as male Flatback turtles tend to reside within bodies of water for the duration of their lifetimes whereas females only leave water to lay eggs and create nests, but this is mostly done at night as a form of self protection and preservation.

The Flatback sea turtle is known to populate the coastal regions of Australia and the Indo-Pacific region. It is here where the warm shores and turbid waters create a home for Flatback turtles. Flatback turtles are not known to populate deep oceanic waters. Instead, they remain close to the shore as it is in this area where they’re able to find much of what they deem to be nourishment.

Food for Flatback sea turtles is primarily very rich in protein and this preference stays with them throughout much of their lifetime. Items like sea cucumbers, soft corals, and smaller aquatic life forms such as mollusks frequently become staples in their diet and provide them with the ability to gain mass at rapid speeds while developing and reaching maturity.

Flatback turtles seem adjusted to swift currents and high turbulence within the water. This aspect of the water appeals to the design of their shells, which is flat and accommodates high pressure discharge without causing any noticeable harm or damage to the Flatback turtle. It is rare to find a Flatback turtle in calm oceans, but this trait has been observed in male Flatback turtles who are typically searching for food before returning closer to the shore. There is also some debate in scientific circles regarding males searching for mates while swimming through calmer waters, but there is no significant ground to determine this aspect as fact at this time.

It is extremely rare for Flatback turtles to leave the safety of the water. This is because their bodies quickly become immobilized when outside of the water’s submergence and they must rely on their flippers to literally drag themselves across sandy beaches. Male Flatback turtles are known to never leave the water after becoming acclimatized and remain submerged for the entire duration of their lifetimes. However, female Flatback turtles are known to leave the water on a yearly basis to create nests and deposit eggs. This process is typically observed at night as the darker conditions are regarded as instinctual by scientists in aims of staying out of the obvious sight of land predators.

With evolving technology comes the ability to study such a marvelous and mysterious creature. While there are presently very few figures and data to ascribe to the Flatback sea turtle, scientists have recently started to attach radio transmitters to nesting sea turtles and these devices transmit valuable information back to the scientists in aims of giving us the very much needed data surrounding the life of the sea turtle. It is only now that we can begin to piece together the life history of the sea turtle and follow it throughout its lifestyle and developing trends that it has been known to exhibit under case studies.