Turtles

What we know

Turtles are part of GTA 6's sea life. Rockstar told Game Informer that Leonida's waters hold turtles alongside several shark species, whales, rays and jellyfish, that each has "distinct movement behavior", and that you meet them while scuba diving (IGN, VICE). IGN's list of animals seen in Rockstar's material includes a sea turtle, and Aftermath, ranking every GTA 6 animal confirmed so far, put sea turtles third behind cats and dogs.

Rockstar has not said which species, and no trailer has given one a close-up yet.

Florida is sea turtle country

Real Florida is one of the most important sea turtle coasts on the planet. FWC, the state's wildlife agency, gives the numbers for the most common one:

Loggerhead fact	What FWC says
Most common sea turtle in Florida	Yes, named for its large head
Share of nests	Florida hosts about 90% of the nests of the Northwest Atlantic loggerhead population, the largest in the world
Where	Mostly five east-coast counties, from Brevard south to Palm Beach
When	April to September
Size	200 to 350 pounds, up to 3 feet long

That calendar matters for anyone hoping to see hatchlings in the game. GTA 6 launches on November 19, outside real nesting season, and Rockstar has not said whether Leonida has seasons that change animal behaviour.

Our take: turtles are the reward animal of a dive, the one you'll want to follow with the camera. Look for them near reefs and seagrass in calm, shallow water around the Keys and the coast rather than far offshore. We wouldn't count on beach nesting or hatchlings: Rockstar has only described turtles in the sea, and nesting would need a seasonal system nobody has confirmed. Polygon jokes that Lucia could moonlight at a sea turtle rescue. We'd love a rescue side activity too, but nothing points to one yet.

What to watch for at launch

• Which species are in the game: loggerheads, greens, or others.
• Whether turtles nest on Leonida's beaches at any point.
• Whether sea animals can be studied for the animal checklist.