Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
The most-loved resident of the Hurghada seagrass beds. Calm, curious, and frequently encountered on shallow dives.
- Size
- 80–150 cm
- Depth
- 1–30 m
- Sighting odds
- frequent
- IUCN status
- EN
About this species
Green sea turtles are common throughout the Egyptian Red Sea, particularly in seagrass meadows around Abu Hashish, Sahl Hasheesh, and Marsa Mubarak. Adults reach 1.2 m and 160 kg. They feed on seagrass and algae, surface every 5-15 minutes to breathe, and are remarkably tolerant of divers who approach calmly and quietly.
Fun facts
- Lay up to 200 eggs per nesting season
- Can hold their breath for over an hour while resting
- Return to the same beach where they were born to nest
- Live to 80+ years in the wild
Best sites for this species
Abu Hashish Lagoon
A protected sandy lagoon inside the Abu Hashish reef system — flat, calm, and packed with critters. Our favourite spot for buoyancy training and macro photography.
Abu Hashish
A sprawling reef system south of Hurghada with multiple dive profiles in one location — wall, sandy slope, lagoon, and seagrass beds where turtles graze and dugongs occasionally appear.
Sharm El Arab
A beautiful, lesser-visited reef in the northern Hurghada area. Quiet, photogenic, and packed with coral diversity on a gentle wall.
Want to dive with green sea turtle?
Tell us when you're coming and we'll plan a dive that maximises your chances.