Adopt a sea turtle

Become a Sea Guardian today by adopting a green sea turtle

Green sea turtles are named not for the colour of their shell, but for the greenish colour of their flesh. These gentle ocean wanderers can live for 80 years and weigh up to 318 kilograms, making green turtles among the largest sea turtles in the world.

Like other sea turtles, green turtles undertake lengthy migrations from feeding sites to nesting grounds, normally on sandy beaches. Mating occurs every two to four years, in shallow waters close to the shore. Females often return to the same beach used by their mothers, to lay their eggs. 

Adopt a species - sea turtle

Adopt Shelly a green sea turtle with a monthly gift of $35 or more and you will receive:

Our oceans and marine wildlife need your help. 

Australia has some of the most extraordinary oceans on the planet. But right now, our oceans are facing dire threats, more than ever before. Plastic pollution, rising ocean temperatures and damaging fisheries are just some of the major threats that we’re fighting.

Adopt a species today to fight to protect our oceans and precious marine life.

Adopt a species

Meet Shelly the green sea turtle

Hi! I’m Shelly!

I’m a green sea turtle.

I love catching waves and soaking up the sun in the Great Barrier Reef. When I’m not enjoying a tasty snack of algae and seagrass, I’m out exploring the vibrant beauty of my Reef home.

My flotilla and I are under threat due to plastic pollution, rising ocean temperatures and bycatch.

I’d be so happy if you would adopt me, to help my flotilla get the marine conservation help they need to survive.

Common Name: Green sea turtle
Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas
Type: Reptilia
Diet: Adults are strictly herbivorous. Juveniles eat worms, small crustacea, seagrass and algae.
Size: Up to 1.5 metres
Weight: Up to 318kg
Group name: Flotilla or bale
Protection status: Endangered (IUCN)

Our plush toys are made from 100% RECYCLED fabric and fibre filling.

Each toy is made using 16 plastic water bottles, recycled paper hang tag, and biodegradable packaging.

Join us as a Sea Guardian today and together we will make a difference for tomorrow. 

All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible. Sea Guardian donations are charged on the 15th of every month. Please contact us at any time to cancel or change your regular donation. Adopt-a-species toys are dispatched after three successful monthly donations.

Not the species you were looking for? Return to adopt-a-species page to select another species to adopt.

Just like to make a regular gift, and not adopt-a-species plushie, visit our Sea Guardian information page.

Learn more about sea turtles

Green turtles play an important role in the health of our marine ecosystems. As the only sea turtles that primarily eat plants, they feed almost exclusively on seagrass and algae. Their constant grazing helps to maintain healthy seagrass beds by pruning and fertilising them. These lush seagrass beds, in turn, serve as thriving nurseries for fish and other marine life, supporting a thriving underwater community.

In addition to their conservation value, sea turtles hold significant cultural and spiritual importance to many First Nations peoples.

Sadly, green turtles are an endangered species and the Great Barrier Reef is one of the last places on earth with large nesting populations. Few turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood and those that do make it are at risk from human activities such as being caught in fishing gear, boat strikes, and plastic marine debris mistaken for their favourite food: jellyfish.

Additionally, ocean warming, extreme weather and rising sea levels threaten their nesting grounds. On low-lying islands, such as those in our precious Coral Sea, nesting beaches could soon be underwater, affecting the mating and nesting rituals of our magnificent sea turtles.

As plastic pollution continues to litter our oceans and kill our magnificent turtles, we must ramp up our efforts to clean up our oceans.

With your support, our supermarket plastics team will continue to work directly with Australia’s largest supermarkets to investigate the success of plastic reduction efforts, and support their sustainability teams to cut plastic packaging and switch to earth safe alternatives. With your help, we can drive a significant reduction of plastic packaging in one of the largest retail sectors, directly reducing Australia’s plastic footprint. We will also continue to push for a strong global plastics treaty and to urge our government to reduce plastic pollution at the source.