An interactive journey
Live the full life of a sea turtle — from cracking out of the egg to crossing an ocean and back. Play it, then learn the real science behind every stage.
Forty-five to seventy days after a mother turtle buried her clutch and returned to the sea, a hundred siblings dig upward together. The temperature of the sand has already decided whether they are male or female. They wait for the cool of night, then break the surface all at once.
Crack out of your shell →Between the nest and the waves wait ghost crabs, gulls, and raccoons. Hatchlings steer toward the brightest horizon — the naturally open sea horizon — which is why a single porch light can send them the wrong way. The journey is dangerous, and survival varies from beach to beach.
Run for the ocean →Those who reach the water swim for a day straight, then vanish into the open ocean. For up to a decade scientists lose track of them entirely — the famous “lost years” — as they drift in currents and hide in rafts of floating seaweed, growing from a cookie to a dinner plate.
Read the full life cycle →Adult turtles cross entire oceans by feeling Earth’s magnetic field — an internal map and compass that can guide them back to the region where they hatched. In the games, your compass fades as the journey gets harder, just like the real challenge of finding home.
Try today’s navigation puzzle →Once mature, a female hauls out on her natal beach, digs a chamber, and lays the next generation — at her most vulnerable moment, exposed to predators on land. Then the cycle begins again, beginning another remarkable ocean journey.
Complete the journey →10 free games, no ads, no sign-up. Every one of them teaches something real about sea turtles.
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