Common name: Olive Ridley Turtle

Scientific name: Caretta caretta

Local name: Penyu Lipas

The smallest of the all the four marine turtles found in Malaysia, the adult olive ridley, locally known as penyu lipas, measures from 60-65cm in carapace length and feeds primarily on shrimps, jellyfish, crabs and snails. Ridleys are found in small numbers along the coasts and offshore islands of the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. Present ridley population in Peninsular Malaysia is very small with nesting recorded in Pahang, Perak, Pulau Pinang and Terengganu.

Olive ridley turtles migrate large distances (up to 1900km) from feeding areas to nesting beaches to breed. However, their migratory paths are relatively unknown. They are known for their large synchronised breeding aggregations, called Arribadas, which occur in the eastern Pacific Ocean and in India.

Olive ridley turtle numbers are mainly threatened by accidental capture by fishing industries, loss of nesting habitats due to beach erosion, coastal development, illegal egg collection and marine pollution.