Loggerhead sea turtles are easily recognizable by their very large heads, giving them their name. Unlike many of the other species, loggerhead’s shells do not have ridges, giving it a smooth appearance, another distinguishing characteristic of these strong jawed hunters. These large, solid bodied swimmers are primarily carnivorous feeding mostly on shellfish like clams, conchs, crabs, and other invertebrates. They have one of the widest distributions of all the sea turtle species and can be found in both temperate and tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. In fact, they have been reported as far north as Alaska and as far south as Chile in the eastern Pacific.

With their wide-ranging global distribution and ability to live in a variety of habitats from inshore waters to the open sea, chances of diving with a loggerhead sea turtle are pretty good. Whether you are scuba diving on a coral reef in the warm Caribbean or on a shipwreck in the cooler Pacific, keep your eyes peeled on the horizon for the possibility of one of these large, majestic reptiles to swim by. Check out the map below to find the best dives sites around the world to encounter them while diving.