An interactive journey
Tiny hatchling.
Extraordinary journey.
Live the full life of a sea turtle — from cracking out of the egg to crossing an ocean and back. Play it, then learn the real science behind every stage.
At midnight, the sand erupts
Forty-five to seventy days after a mother turtle buried her clutch and returned to the sea, a hundred siblings dig upward together. The temperature of the sand has already decided whether they are male or female. They wait for the cool of night, then break the surface all at once.
Crack out of your shell →A hundred yards of open beach
Between the nest and the waves wait ghost crabs, gulls, and raccoons. Hatchlings steer toward the brightest horizon — the naturally open sea horizon — which is why a single porch light can send them the wrong way. The journey is dangerous, and survival varies from beach to beach.
Run for the ocean →Five years no one can see
Those who reach the water swim for a day straight, then vanish into the open ocean. For up to a decade scientists lose track of them entirely — the famous “lost years” — as they drift in currents and hide in rafts of floating seaweed, growing from a cookie to a dinner plate.
Read the full life cycle →Navigating by a sense we don’t have
Adult turtles cross entire oceans by feeling Earth’s magnetic field — an internal map and compass that can guide them back to the region where they hatched. In the games, your compass fades as the journey gets harder, just like the real challenge of finding home.
Try today’s navigation puzzle →Decades later, she comes home
Once mature, a female hauls out on her natal beach, digs a chamber, and lays the next generation — at her most vulnerable moment, exposed to predators on land. Then the cycle begins again, beginning another remarkable ocean journey.
Complete the journey →Play the whole beach
10 free games, no ads, no sign-up. Every one of them teaches something real about sea turtles.
- Predator SilhouettesSpot ocean neighbors by their shapes. Choose an untimed lesson or a timed challenge.
- Coral SymbiosisMatch reef connections and discover who helps whom — and who is eating lunch.
- Hatchling CompassRead magnetic direction clues and steer through an untimed ocean navigation puzzle.
- Nest DigDig the beach and mark every buried turtle nest — without disturbing one. Minesweeper on a nesting beach.
- The Full JourneyHatch, run for the waves, cross the ocean, and come home to nest. The whole life cycle in one game.
- Daily MigrationOne new migration puzzle every day. Everyone plays the same grid — then share your route.
- Coral WeaveWeave through gaps in the coral with a thumb joystick. Built for phones.
- Pollution SortEat the real food, spit out the plastic. Find out why a bag looks like a jellyfish.
- Nest Temperature LabWarm the sand, cool the sand, and watch it decide whether hatchlings are male or female.
- Fact CardsMatch pairs and discover a sea turtle fact with every match.
Make a difference beyond the game
Explore real cleanup and conservation opportunities with a parent, teacher, or community group.
Find ways to volunteer*Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it. Trademark and source information.