Most sea turtles are around the size of a medium coffee table, but the biggest ones are as long as a person and heavier than a small car.

Typical sea turtle size

  • Most sea turtle species have shell lengths of about 50–120 cm (roughly 1.5–4 ft).
  • Their weight often ranges from about 30–230 kg (70–500 lb), depending on the species and age.

Smallest sea turtles

  • The olive ridley and Kemp’s ridley are among the smallest sea turtles, with shell lengths around 50–80 cm (about 2–2.5 ft).
  • They usually weigh up to about 45–50 kg (100–110 lb).

Largest sea turtles

  • The leatherback is the largest sea turtle, commonly reaching about 1.4–1.8 m (4.6–5.9 ft) in length.
  • Typical adult leatherbacks weigh roughly 300–500 kg (660–1,100 lb), with some recorded close to 900 kg (about 2,000 lb).

Easy way to picture it

  • Small species: about the length of a large dog, but much flatter and heavier.
  • Leatherbacks: about as long as a tall adult human, and as heavy as a compact car.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.