Fact Friday

Sea turtles can hold their breath for 4-7 hours while sleeping and resting. How do they do it? Sea turtles are reptiles; like humans, they breathe air. They cannot breathe underwater. When a sea turtle is inactive, its metabolism and heartbeat “slows down,” which decreases the amount of oxygen it uses in its blood. Sea turtles can slow their heartbeat so that it only beats once every nine minutes! For comparison, the human heart beats an average of 80 times in one minute. One breath from the surface can go a long way for these amazing animals.

Photo Credit: Ken Marks

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