10 Turtle Nail Art Design Ideas You’ll Want to Try This Summer

This post was created with help from AI tools and carefully reviewed by a human (Muntaseer Rahman). For more on how we use AI on this site, check out our Editorial Policy.

If you love the ocean and want your nails to stand out, turtle nail art is the perfect choice. From cute cartoon turtles to stunning underwater scenes, there’s a style for every mood.

Whether you’re heading to the beach, a summer party, or just want to show off your love for sea life, these turtle nail designs will have everyone asking where you got them done.

10 Turtle Nail Art Design Ideas

1. Classic Sea Turtle Accent Nail

A simple yet elegant design that highlights one nail with a charming sea turtle, perfect for a subtle ocean vibe.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Ocean blue nail polish
  • White nail polish
  • Dark green nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush or dotting tool
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat to protect your nails.
  2. Paint all nails ocean blue except one accent nail.
  3. On the accent nail, use white polish as the base.
  4. With a thin brush, draw a small turtle shape in dark green. Add a round shell and tiny flippers.
  5. Use a dotting tool to create shell patterns with lighter green or white dots.
  6. Seal with a top coat.

2. Underwater Turtle Scene

Bring the ocean to your fingertips with a dreamy gradient and a graceful turtle silhouette.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Light turquoise nail polish
  • Dark blue nail polish
  • Green nail polish
  • Black nail polish
  • Nail art sponge
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Use a sponge to create a gradient from dark blue at the tip to light turquoise at the base.
  3. Once dry, paint a small turtle silhouette using green polish for the body and flippers.
  4. Outline the turtle with a fine black brush for definition.
  5. Add small white dots around the turtle for bubbles.
  6. Finish with a top coat for shine.

This Hilarious Turtle Book Might Know Your Pet Better Than You Do

Let’s be real—most turtle care guides feel like reading a textbook written by a sleep-deprived zookeeper.

This one’s not that.

Told from the snarky point of view of a grumpy, judgmental turtle, 21 Turtle Truths You’ll Never Read in a Care Guide is packed with sarcasm, sass, and surprisingly useful insights.

And hey—you don’t have to commit to the whole thing just yet.

Grab 2 free truths from the ebook and get a taste of what your turtle really thinks about your setup, your food choices, and that weird plastic palm tree.

It’s funny, it’s honest, and if you’ve ever owned a turtle who glares at you like you’re the problem—you’ll feel seen.

Want to understand Fun + Turtle Inspirations better? Here’s a breakdown that makes sense. 5 Turtle Rock Painting Ideas Anyone Can Try at Home

3. Cute Cartoon Turtle Nails

Fun, playful, and full of personality, this design is perfect for anyone who loves adorable nail art.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Pastel green nail polish
  • Yellow nail polish
  • Brown nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Dotting tool
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Paint all nails pastel green.
  3. On one or two nails, use yellow polish to make a big round shell shape.
  4. Outline the shell with brown polish and add hexagon patterns using a thin brush.
  5. Add a cute turtle head and tiny flippers with pastel green.
  6. Use a dotting tool with black polish to add eyes.
  7. Seal with a top coat for a glossy finish.

4. Golden Sea Turtle Glam

Add a touch of luxury to your nails with shimmering gold turtles against a deep ocean background.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Navy blue nail polish
  • Gold nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush or turtle nail stickers
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Paint all nails navy blue for a rich backdrop.
  3. Use a thin brush or stickers to place golden turtles on one or two nails.
  4. Add a few tiny gold dots for a sparkling underwater effect.
  5. Seal with a top coat for a glossy, polished finish.

5. Minimalist Turtle Outline

Perfect for a clean and modern look, this design uses simple outlines to keep things chic.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Nude or pale pink nail polish
  • Black nail polish
  • Ultra-thin nail art brush
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Paint all nails with a nude or pale pink polish.
  3. Using a thin brush, draw a small turtle outline on one nail.
  4. Keep the lines minimal, focusing on the shell and flippers.
  5. Finish with a top coat to protect the design.

6. Tropical Turtle Paradise

Bright and colorful, this design pairs turtles with tropical flowers for a summery vibe.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Aqua blue nail polish
  • Green nail polish
  • Pink or yellow nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Dotting tool
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Paint all nails aqua blue for the base.
  3. On accent nails, paint small turtles with green polish.
  4. Add tropical flowers in pink or yellow around the turtles using a dotting tool.
  5. Add small white dots for highlights.
  6. Seal with a top coat for a vibrant finish.

Exploring Informative + Turtle Inspirations? We’ll walk you through it, slow and steady. Tumors That Look Like Cauliflower Are Haunting Sea Turtles

7. Glitter Shell Turtle Nails

A sparkly twist where the turtle’s shell shines with glitter for an eye-catching finish.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Teal nail polish
  • Green nail polish
  • Gold or green glitter polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Paint all nails teal.
  3. On one or two nails, draw a turtle using green polish.
  4. Fill the shell area with glitter polish to make it pop.
  5. Seal with a top coat to lock in the sparkle.

8. Ombre Ocean Turtle Nails

A smooth blue gradient paired with small turtle silhouettes for a beachy feel.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Light blue nail polish
  • Dark blue nail polish
  • Nail art sponge
  • Black or dark green nail polish
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Use a sponge to blend light blue at the base and dark blue at the tips.
  3. Paint small turtle silhouettes over one or two nails.
  4. Add a few small white dots for bubbles.
  5. Seal with a top coat.

9. Baby Turtle Trail

Cute baby turtles with little bubble trails for a playful underwater design.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Light turquoise nail polish
  • Green nail polish
  • White nail polish
  • Dotting tool
  • Thin nail art brush
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Paint all nails light turquoise.
  3. Draw small turtles using green polish.
  4. Add white dots in a trail pattern behind each turtle.
  5. Finish with a top coat for shine.

10. 3D Turtle Charm Nails

For a statement look, add tiny 3D turtle charms to your manicure.

Materials Needed:

  • Base coat
  • Any ocean-tone nail polish (blue, green, turquoise)
  • 3D turtle nail charms
  • Nail glue or gel
  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Apply a base coat.
  2. Paint nails in your chosen ocean shade.
  3. Use nail glue or gel to attach turtle charms to one or two accent nails.
  4. Apply top coat around (not over) the charms to secure them.

About Author

Muntaseer Rahman started keeping pet turtles back in 2013. He also owns the largest Turtle & Tortoise Facebook community in Bangladesh. These days he is mostly active on Facebook.