One of the recurring questions in Disney’s Finding Nemo is: How old are sea turtles? Offscreen, Nemo is originally told by a classmate that they can live to be 100 years old. But upon meeting Crush, the surfer dude-esque sea turtle, Nemo’s dad finds out that Crush is “hundred and fifty dude, and still young!”
While some have speculated that sea turtles indeed exceed the age of 100, according to Melissa Cook and Larisa Avens, marine biologists at the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, accurately determining the ages of sea turtles isn’t an easy task. For one, marine biologists can use modern technology to find the age of a sea turtle — but this technology can only be used on deceased turtles.
Many factors can limit the age and lifespan of turtles, from environmental stressors to human activities like commercial fishing, marine debris and boating. Globally, one of the largest threats is the destruction of nesting and feeding habitats. These factors make it difficult to tell if a cause of death was natural or otherwise.
