ABSTRACT
The visual system of sea turtles is exposed to some of the most varied visual habitats found in the animal kingdom. Aquatic vision in clear oceanic waters and more turbid coastal habitats is presumably of predominant importance for sea turtles when feeding, avoiding predators, and nding a mate. Being air breathers, sea turtle eyes are also frequently exposed to visual scenes above water. And for females and hatchling sea turtles, visual orientation on nesting beaches and sea nding is a major visual task (see Lohmann et al., 1997). With sea nding being a largely nocturnal activity and feeding largely diurnal, sea turtles are also exposed to a wide range of light intensities. Lastly, sea turtles are thought to have evolved from a terrestrial predecessor (Pritchard, 1997), bringing with them the constraints of a terrestrial eye design.
