- SEA LIFE, Day and Night on the Reef
Meet our Turtles
Here at SEA LIFE Sydney we have a loveable bunch of turtles that you can spot during your visit. Keep your eyes peeled for our newest resident, Plugga the Green Sea Turtle.
Get up and turtle-y close with our turtles on our Glass Bottom Boat tour and optional turtle encounter!
Book NowMeet Plugga
Meet Plugga, a 120kg rescue Australian Green Sea Turtle. Plugga was found washed up on a beach in 1990 with much of her right-rear flipper missing. After she outgrew her home in a marine park in Coffs Harbour she made the journey down to us here in Sydney. Plugga now lives with us and her 2 other turtle tank mates in our Day and Night on the Reef zone.
Meet Dave & Chandler
Dave and Chandler are two of our resident turtles here in Sydney. They are fed 3 times a week and cannot get enough of squid! It's their favourite! These guys both weigh between 150 - 200 kg and are over 25 years old! Try and spot them at Turtle Beach in the Day and Night on the Reef Exhibit!
Meet Ernie
Ernie is one of our broad-shelled turtles. He is quite different looking from our other turtles, this is because he is a freshwater turtle! This species of turtle can be found in rivers all around NSW and preys on shrimps and yabbies. You can spot Ernie in our very first tank as you enter the aquarium!
Turtle-y Terrific Facts
As old as Dinosaurs
Turtles are one of the oldest reptiles in the world and have been around for over 200 million years. That’s before dinosaurs were extinct - wow!
Is it a boy or a girl?
When the turtles have laid their eggs in the sand, the temperature of the sand will determine the sex of the babies. Lower temperatures will lead to males and higher temperatures will lead to females.
The bold & the old
The largest species of sea turtle can weigh over a whopping 900kg and they also have an incredibly long lifespan. The oldest ever recorded was 188 years old!
Conservation Status
There are 7 different species of sea turtle of which many are listed as endangered or vulnerable by the IUCN Red list. See below for the conservation status of the sea turtle species at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. Green Sea turtle: Endangered Loggerhead turtle: Vulnerable
Plugga's Journey
Plugga, our Green Sea Turtle, travelled to SEA LIFE Sydney all the way from Coffs Harbour.Learn more about her journey in the video to the left.