The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle

On a beach at the Ría Lagartos nature reserve in Mexico, a sea turtle is born.

Newly hatched into a big world, she breaks out of an egg buried in the sand. Now, her journey begins. To reach the ocean she must avoid predatory opossums, crabs, and raccoons -- many of her siblings will not make it. But our sea turtle does, and when she finally dives beneath the blue sea, she’ll travel for thousands of miles on a beautiful and pulse-pounding adventure.

Brilliant, informative, and compelling, The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle is a sweeping nonfiction tale following one turtle’s extraordinary life from hatchling to adulthood, written by sea turtle expert and activist Maddalena Bearzi, and illustrated by rising star Alex Boersma.

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Published: 5/13/2025
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Size / Weight: 11.4 in H | 9.5 in W | 0.4 in T | 1.2 lb Wt
ISBN: 9781250901675


About the Author

Maddalena Bearzi is a marine biologist, conservationist, photo-journalist, and published author of books and articles, including Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins, Dolphin Confidential: Confessions of a Field Biologist , and Stranded: Finding Nature in Uncertain Times . Maddalena was born and raised in Italy and now lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and dog. oceanconservation.org/maddalena-bearzi-author @maddalenabearzi_author

Alex Boersma is a Canadian scientific artist and the illustrator of the picture book, The Whale Who Swam Through Time . After studying geology and studio art at Vassar College, Alex worked at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She now lives in Chicago. alexboersma.com