What Is a Baby Sea Turtle Called?

A newly hatched sea turtle is called a hatchling. The name describes a life stage, not a separate species: green turtles, loggerheads and other sea turtles all begin as young animals developing inside eggs.

An egg under the sand

A female sea turtle digs a nest and lays eggs on a beach. The embryos develop during incubation. The National Park Service's reproduction guide describes nesting and the hatchlings that later emerge.

Hatching and emerging are different: breaking out of an egg happens before reaching the sand's surface. A hatchling then has a beach to cross before it reaches the ocean.

Small does not mean simple

Hatchlings are not all one size or color. Compare species rather than treating a photograph as a universal baby-turtle pattern. NOAA's loggerhead profile describes the appearance of loggerhead hatchlings alongside adults.

At Padre Island, observers describe hatchlings taking different routes and pausing on their way to the surf. There is no need to imagine a perfectly synchronized sprint. NPS emerging behavior.

Three words to remember

• Egg: the place where the embryo develops.
• Hatchling: a recently hatched turtle.
• Juvenile: a growing young turtle that has not reached adulthood.

Try explaining the difference using your own drawing. Then follow the next stages in the sea turtle life cycle.

If you find hatchlings on a real beach, give them space and follow local wildlife staff's directions. Our Hatchling Compass game is a puzzle for learning about direction; it is not instructions for moving wild hatchlings.