Leatherback Sea Turtles

Leatherback turtles are named because of their shell, which, unlike other turtles, is leather-like rather than hard. They are the largest and perhaps one of the most migratory species of sea turtles, crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Pacific leatherbacks migrate all the way to the California coast from the spawning beaches in the Coral Triangle to feed on the abundant jellyfish every summer and fall.

Leatherback sea turtles are federally listed as endangered. Their main threats are caused by human activities. Egg clutches are often unlawfully poached, and beach resort lighting often attracts the offspring that do hatch, so they crawl away from the shore instead of into it. Adults are also victims of poaching, as well as fishing gear entanglements. They are also vulnerable, often ingesting plastic sea waste, to marine contamination and garbage. Climate change is also a major threat. A major threat to the success of nests is beach erosion caused by increased storm frequency and intensity. The rising sea levels of the oceans is another threat linked to climate change.

Several organizations have taken the mission of protecting endangered leatherback sea turtles into their own hands. These organizations include:

• The Turtle Hospital: https://www.turtlehospital.org/news/leatherback-sea-turtle/

• The Leatherback Trust: https://www.leatherback.org/

• Sea Turtle Conservancy: https://conserveturtles.org/information-about-sea-turtles-leatherback-sea-turtle/

General Information about Leatherback Sea Turtles:

Adult leatherbacks have few natural predators, although many species, including birds, raccoons, and crabs, prey on their eggs and newborns. Female leatherbacks prefer to lay their eggs in the same nesting place. In picking a nesting beach, their large size makes them opportunistic. Temperature, like most reptiles, decides the offspring's gender-if it's warm inside the nest, females would be born while males grow if temperatures are colder. If the eggs hatch, the infant sea turtles must make it into the water to learn to fend for themselves without their parents' care. They are independent the moment that they are born. At about 16 years old, leatherbacks reach maturity. Though the lifespan of a leatherback sea turtle is unknown, it is estimated that they live about 30 years. Leatherback sea turtles are the fastest aquatic reptiles reaching speeds of 22 mph and can also dive almost 4,000 feet deep.

Click on the link to watch a video about Leatherback Sea Turtles: Saving Leatherback Turtles