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40 Precious Photos of Baby Turtles

Emma TaubenfeldEmma TaubenfeldUpdated: May 20, 2021

We need to protect these unbelievably adorable and tiny turtles at all costs.

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Baby sea turtles in Greece
VickyKornevall/Getty Images
There’s no shame in needing a little pick-me-up and we have you covered. You may normally turn to baby animal pictures or even puppy pictures when you’re in need of a smile, but these pictures of baby turtles will absolutely do the trick. If you’re anything like me, you may not have realized how tiny these little guys are, especially when many of them grow to be so large. Hold on tight, because you’re about to fall in love with these precious and heartwarming creatures.
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Loggerhead turtle
VW Pics/Getty Images

Hello world!

It’s bright out here.

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Hatchling sea turtle
Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Sand is good for the skin

Plus, it keeps me warm.

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Loggerhead turtle
VW Pics/Getty Images

Come out, guys!

We hope you can hatch soon. It’s nice out here!

RELATED: Adorable Pig Pictures

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The Leatherback Turtle
VW Pics/Getty Images

Get my good angle

My flippers look best from this side.

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Hawksbill turtle in sargassum weed
VW Pics/Getty Images

Hey, down there!

A beautiful day for a float.

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Sea Hatchlings Release Program In Aceh, Indonesia
Barcroft Media/Getty Images

Race you to the water!

Last one in is a rotten tortoise!

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BANGLADESH-CONSERVATION-ENVIRONMENT-ANIMAL-TORTOISE
MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/Getty Images

Have any pizza instead?

This salad isn’t filling enough.

RELATED: Funny Goat Pictures

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YELLOW SPOTTED RIVER TURTLE, PODOCNEMIS UNIFILIS, AMAZON, PERU
Sylvain CORDIER/Getty Images

Follow the leader

I hope you know where you’re going.

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New baby spiny turtle
Peter Byrne - PA Images/Getty Images

Roar!

Do these spikes make me look intimidating?

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Baby and turtle
Jake Olson Studios/Getty Images

A baby and a baby

Staring contest!

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Young turtles in bucket on beach, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia
Konstantin Trubavin/Getty Images

Are these even real?

They’re so tiny, I need my glasses to see them!

RELATED: Adorable Animal Pictures

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Small turtle on a hand with leaves on the background
Pablo Solís Fernández/Getty Images

Hello!

Extremely photogenic.

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Rescue of green turtle
Chalabala/Getty Images

I can fly!

I can see for miles just like Superman!

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close up of a baby greek tortoise on a hand
TG23/Getty Images

Perched and poised 

She is beauty and she is grace.

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Newborn turtle in guys hand
barsik/Getty Images

Goodnight

Soft hands make a great napping spot.

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Turtle on the palm. Little steppe tortoise in spring, Almaty, Kazakhstan
allenkayaa/Getty Images

Is it safe to come out?

Are these pictures of baby turtles making you want one?

RELATED: Cute Sloth Pictures

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Feeding cucumber to baby turtle
Ploychan/Getty Images

Yum, cucumber!

Does anyone have a little balsamic for this?

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Newborn Turtle is Entering the Sea Accompanied by Person
italiansight/Getty Images

Just going for a quick swim

Come on in, the water’s fine!

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Baby turtle swimming in the ocean
Molly-Ann Basterfield/Getty Images

So refreshing

The water is so clear I can see myself.

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Close-Up Of Human Hand Holding A Turtle
Margarita María Schilcher Gaitán/Getty Images

Who are you looking at?

Don’t make me go back in my shell.

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Pet baby turtles held in hand
Danielle Kiemel/Getty Images

Who’s that?

He’s kind of funny looking.

RELATED: Cute Bunny Pictures

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Sea Turtle release at the Bahamas
Divepic/Getty Images

Watch me do a backflip!

I’ve had lots of practice.

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Image of young tame and friendly baby pet Russian Hartsfield diet / Hermann's tortoise being held in hand fingers to show size and scale, with head, face, eyes, shells, legs and claws, healthy pet tortoises diet food guide and caring for tortoiseshell
mtreasure/Getty Images

Big smile

How do my scales look?

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Wildlife
Cyndi Monaghan/Getty Images

Speedy

I can beat the hare, no question.

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Turtle in the palm of my hand
JBlanche/Getty Images

Hide and seek

Every turtle’s favorite game as you can tell by some of these pictures of baby turtles.

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Baby star turtle eating, cute baby turtle eating broccoli from hand
voxgetty/Getty Images

Snack time!

I love cauliflower.

RELATED: Cute Hedgehog Pictures

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Baby sea turtle
shalamov/Getty Images

Love at first sight

Thanks for holding me up.

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Holding baby turtle in hand
I'm trying to catch the dust of time.../Getty Images

Just a pinch

Don’t squish!

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Image of young tame and friendly baby pet Russian Hartsfield diet / Hermann's tortoise being held in hand outdoors in garden sunshine for vitamins above green lawn grass, baby tortoise in fingers to show size and scale, with head, legs and claws hanging
mtreasure/Getty Images

Just hanging

Don’t look down.

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A small turtle crawling on the sand near the sea.
KVLADIMIRV/Getty Images

Golden hour

Nothing quite like a sunset on the beach.

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Image of a mud turtle head on water. Amphibians animals.
yod67/Getty Images

Peek-a-boo

I see you!

RELATED: Cute Ferret Pictures

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New born baby turtles at Praia do Forte, Brazil
fotoember/Getty Images

Righteous, dude!

Just like little Squirt in Finding Nemo.

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New born baby turtles at Praia do Forte, Brazil
fotoember/Getty Images

Rough day

I’m just going to rest my head for a few minutes.

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Newly hatched turtle entering the surf in Costa Rica
Fertnig/Getty Images

I’m coming for you!

I’ll be at the ocean soon.

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A Baby Of Turtle Lost At Sea When The Swimming, High Angle View Of Turtle Swimming In Sea
Riyan Syah Putra Pratama / EyeEm/Getty Images

Perfecting the breaststroke

Nailed it.

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baby sea turtle hatching. One day old sea turtles in Hikkaduwa in the turtle farm.,Sri Lanka . Loggerhead baby sea turtle
Shakeel Sha/Getty Images

Have you seen anything cuter?

A perfect headshot for LinkedIn.

RELATED: Hamster Pictures

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Small Sea Turtle On Hand In Kosgoda, Sri Lanka
SamanWeeratunga/Getty Images

Sunbathing

Working on the perfect tan for summer.

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Hands of a child holding ‘Red eared slider turtles’
Mayur Kakade/Getty Images
.

Twins!

We’re close.

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Baby turtle standing next to coin
Danielle Kiemel/Getty Images

Anyone have a quarter?

Yes, I’m small. So what?

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An endangered loggerhead hatchling at the beach
Toni Faint/Getty Images

Watch your step!

Baby turtle coming through. Now that these pictures of baby turtles have made their way into your heart, make room for these possum pictures for even more cuteness.

Originally Published: April 05, 2021

Emma Taubenfeld
Emma Taubenfeld
Emma Taubenfeld is a former assistant editor for Reader’s Digest who writes about digital lifestyle topics such as memes, social media captions, pickup lines and cute pets. When she’s not working, you can find Emma reading corny young adult novels, creating carefully curated playlists and figuring out how to spice up boxed mac and cheese.