Depending on the species, sea turtles' color range can be olive-green, yellow, greenish-brown, reddish-brown, or black in color. Some green turtles and hawksbills have shells patterned with streaks and blotches of brown or black. Leatherbacks have black carapaces (top shells) dotted with white and white plastrons (bottom shells) with dark splotches.
As its common name implies, the black subspecies (Chelonia m. agassizii) of green sea turtle is typically darker than C. m. mydas.
The green sea turtle gets its name from the color of its body fat (due to its diet of seagrasses and algae), not its shell.
Like many other aquatic animals, sea turtles are countershaded with a dark dorsal (back) and light ventral (lower surface) coloration. Countershading camouflages the turtles from potential predators. When viewed from above, the turtle’s dark back blends in with the ocean depths. From below, the lighter ventral side blends in with the brighter sea surface.
