An ancient mariner of our oceans, with a lineage dating back 100 million years, tracing its origins to the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Despite surviving natural cataclysms that extinguished many other species, today’s Leatherbacks face threats that have caused their numbers to decline precipitously in modern times.
Leatherbacks are truly unique among sea turtles. Instead of a hard shell like other species, they have a distinctive flexible carapace that is covered in leathery skin, hence their name. This specialized shell is composed of a matrix of bony plates beneath the skin, allowing for a more hydrodynamic shape that aids in deep diving and long-distance swimming. Their adaptability in thermal regulation, a rare trait for reptiles, allows them to maintain a core body temperature that can function effectively in a wide range of water temperatures. This is partly why they can be found in all oceans, from the tropics to the subpolar regions.
Renowned for their epic migratory journeys, Leatherbacks traverse thousands of miles between their nesting beaches in tropical regions and their feeding grounds, which can be located in temperate and even subpolar latitudes. This extensive travel is driven by their need to consume vast quantities of jellyfish, which form the bulk of their diet and are more abundant in cooler waters.
The global distribution of Leatherbacks is categorized into seven Regional Management Units (RMUs), which are essentially subpopulations that are geographically and sometimes genetically distinct. Each RMU faces its own set of challenges, but there are common threats that imperil Leatherbacks across the globe.
Distribution
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Albania
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bonaire Sint Eustatius And Saba
Bosnia And Herz.
Brazil
British Virgin Is.
Brunei
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Fiji
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Nort. Mariana Is.
North Korea
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Russia
Saint Helena
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent
Samoa
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts & Nevis
Suriname
Syria
São Tomé & Príncipe
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turks & Caicos
Tuvalu
US Virgin Islands
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
VenezuelaRecent Updates
March 2024: In the Pearl Islands of Panama, marine conservation biologist Callie Veelenturf and her team are tagging turtles with satellite devices. This effort, part of The Leatherback Project, aims to track migrations of leatherback sea turtles and other species to aid their protection.
Feb 2024: Conservation groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to update critical habitat protections for the leatherback sea turtle under the Endangered Species Act, focusing on safeguarding key nesting beaches in Puerto Rico and considering additional sites.
Did you know?
- Their deepest dive ever recorded, reaching over 1.2 km( 4,000 ft) was deeper than other marine mammals.
- The leatherback turtle can grow up to 2 m (7 ft) long and weigh more than 2,000 pounds; it is the biggest turtle on Earth.
- The carapace’s seven ridges contribute to its more hydrodynamic structure.
- They use a special set of adaptations to create and retain body heat to maintain warm body temperatures in chilly water.
- Warming temperatures and climate change threaten the leatherback population’s long-term reproductive success.
- The decaying ocean plastic that resembles their primary prey, such as jellyfish, salps, and siphonophores, is ingested by leatherbacks, posing a serious threat to their survival.
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Suggest an editGet to know me
Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
