Leatherback
Sea Turtles
Meet the leatherback, the most unique of all sea turtle species and the star of the show here at The Leatherback Project!
About The
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle isn’t just big, it’s the heavyweight champion of the reptile world! As the largest of the seven sea turtle species, leatherbacks hold the record for both size and stamina, roaming farther and deeper into colder waters than any other sea turtle. These ancient giants have roamed the ocean since the age of dinosaurs, yet their distinctive features have remained largely unchanged for over 110 million years.
But now, after surviving mass extinctions and outlasting prehistoric reptiles, they’re facing their toughest challenge yet: us. Human-driven threats like pollution, climate change, and overfishing are pushing leatherbacks toward extinction in parts of the ocean they’ve called home for eons. At The Leatherback Project, we’re fighting to make sure these gentle giants keep cruising Earth’s oceans for millions more years to come.​​
Species Profile
Scientific name: Dermochelys coriacea
Family name: Dermochelyidae
Classification: Reptile
Size: Up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) long
Weight: Up to 2,000 pounds (~907 kilograms)
Lifespan: Unknown, however, research estimates up to 50 years
Habitat: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea
Ten Turtle Tidbits: Leatherback Edition
Ocean Superheroes!
Leatherbacks are keystone species, indicating entire ocean ecosystems count on them to keep things running smoothly. They’re basically the Avengers of the sea!
True Ocean Explorers
They live most of their lives in the open ocean, making them pelagic pros.
Deep Sea Divers Extraordinaire
Leatherbacks can dive over 4,000 feet (~1219 meters) deep. That’s deeper than some whales!
Breath-Holding Champions
They can hold their breath for over an hour! But when they’re on the hunt for jellyfish, they usually stick to a casual 20-minute breath-hold.
Jellyfish Junkies
Their favorite snack? Slippery, squishy jellyfish! Good thing too because they help keep jellyfish numbers in check.
No Hard Shells Here
Unlike other sea turtles, leatherbacks have soft, rubbery shells, similar armor made of skin than bone.
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The Gigantothermic Giant
They’re experts at regulating their internal body temperature. Leatherbacks can keep it cozy even in chilly waters!
Speedy Growers
Leatherbacks grow faster than their hard-shelled cousins. Guess soft shells come with serious growth perks!
Flipper Facts
No claws here! Leatherbacks are the only sea turtles with flipper tips that are totally claw-free.
Masters of Migration
Leatherbacks travel farther than any other sea turtle, roaming 3 of our 5 oceans. They’re the ultimate globetrotters of the sea.
What Makes Leatherback Sea Turtles Unique?
Leatherbacks are a Flagship Species
They’re not just sea turtles. They’re ocean icons. Leatherback sea turtles are the ancient giants of the sea. These prehistoric leviathans have been swimming the world’s oceans since before T. rex was even existed! And today, they’re still making waves, not just in the water, but in the world of conservation.
That’s because leatherbacks are a flagship species, acting as the ocean’s official spokesperson. When we protect leatherbacks, we’re also protecting other ocean life and habitats that rely on them. But being the face of the ocean comes with challenges. Leatherbacks are affected by almost every big threat facing our seas today: ​​
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Climate change
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Sea level rise
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Beach erosion
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Rising temperatures​
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Unsustainable fishing (a.k.a. bycatch)
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Plastic pollution
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Ocean acidification
Why Are They Called Leatherbacks?
Leatherback sea turtles get their name from their unique shell, which isn’t hard and bony like the other sea turtles. Instead, it’s soft, leathery, and a bit rubbery, like a tough wetsuit built for deep-sea adventures!
That’s why some people also call them the leathery turtle, lute turtle, or just the luth.
What Is Going On With Their Shell?
Unlike their hard-shelled cousins, leatherbacks are the only sea turtle species with a carapace made of cartilage, not keratin (the same material your nails are made of). Their shell is shaped like a teardrop and features seven cool ridges running down the back. This complex design also helps them glide like champions through the ocean.
But that’s not all. This unique design is built to take the pressure, literally! It helps leatherbacks survive dives as deep as 4,000 feet or about 1,219 meters (deeper than some whale species dive!), where the ocean is cold, dark, and under immense pressure.
Jellyfish, Anyone?
Leatherbacks are jellyfish fanatics. They eat almost nothing but jellyfish and other squishy sea creatures like gelatinous zooplankton, moon jellies, and sea nettles. Their go-to snacks might look harmless, but jellyfish are actually sneaky predators that eat baby fish and fish larvae. So, by chowing down on jellies, leatherbacks help keep the ocean food web balanced.
But how do they manage to eat something so slippery and squishy? Easy! Leatherbacks have spiky, backward-facing papillae lining their throats that help guide the jellyfish down the hatch.
A full-grown leatherback can eat its own body weight in jellyfish every single day. That’s up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of jiggly snacks. Talk about a serious seafood appetite!
How Do Leatherbacks Keep Warm in the Coldest Corners of the Ocean?
A "Polar Reptile"
Leatherbacks have earned the nickname “polar reptiles” thanks to their incredible ability to thrive in cold ocean waters, places where no other sea turtle species can survive. This is due to a unique combination of physiological traits that allow them to regulate their body temperature in extreme environments.
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Not Warm-Blooded or Cold-Blooded... But Gigantothermic!
Unlike most reptiles, leatherbacks aren’t strictly warm- or cold-blooded. Instead, they use a process called Gigantothermy, a heat-retention strategy also seen in large animals like polar bears, panda bears, and even dinosaurs. Their large size and thick layer of insulating fat help them conserve body heat over long periods.
Counter-Current Heat Exchange
One key adaptation in leatherback physiology is counter-current heat exchange. This happens when veins carrying cooler, oxygen-poor blood are located close to arteries carrying warmer, oxygen-rich blood. This efficient design helps leatherbacks conserve heat in their limbs and other extremities, especially during deep, cold water dives.
Masters of the Cold
Leatherbacks' evolutionary adaptations allow them to withstand frigid temperature extremes that other sea turtle species can't tolerate. This allows them to forage in higher latitudes, far beyond the tropical zones where most sea turtle species are found.
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Cooling Down Leatherback Style
When leatherback turtles begin to overheat, blood flow increases near the surface of their skin to help release excess heat into the surrounding water. This process gives their skin a noticeable pinkish hue.
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Evidence of Internal Temperature Control
Studies off the coast of California have shown that leatherbacks can maintain a body temperature 6 to 7 degrees Celsius (~43 - 45 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the surrounding water. This ability gives them access to foraging habitats rich in jellyfish where no other marine turtle species can thrive.
How Far Can a Leatherback Travel?
Leatherbacks are the ultimate ocean nomads. These sea turtles log some of the longest migration journeys in the animal kingdom as they roam across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans! On a typical day, a leatherback might cruise up to 35 kilometers (about 22 miles). But that’s nothing compared to the big picture... Some leatherbacks have been recorded swimming over 10,000 miles (16,000 km) a year as they migrate between nesting beaches and jellyfish-filled feeding grounds. That’s like swimming across the entire Pacific Ocean and back!
Their habitat? Anywhere the jellyfish are! Leatherbacks are most comfortable in tropical and temperate ocean environments. If there are jellies to eat and waves to ride, these turtles are there.
Why Do Leatherbacks Travel Thousands of Miles to Nest?
Leatherback sea turtles reach maturity between the ages of 9- to 22-years-old. Once old enough to reproduce, they embark on an extraordinary journey back to the very beach where they were born to lay their first batch of eggs.
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Female leatherbacks return to these beaches every 2 to 4 years, digging multiple nests in one season (usually every 8 to 12 days) and laying about 100 eggs per clutch.
After about two months of incubation, the tiny hatchlings emerge from the sand and immediately make a dash to the sea.
What is Happening to Leatherback Nests?
Leatherbacks nest on warm, tropical, sandy beaches, but these otherwise ideal settings present serious challenges for these ancient mariners.
Unlike other sea turtle species, leatherbacks lay their eggs close to the shoreline, where their nests are especially vulnerable to rising tides and coastal erosion. This precarious nesting strategy contributes to the lowest hatching success rate among all sea turtles, a situation increasingly exasperated by the impacts of climate change.
Why Does Leatherback Conservation Matter?
Leatherback sea turtles are not just incredible creatures, they’re keystone species in marine ecosystems. One of their most important ecological roles is helping to control jellyfish populations, which, in turn, supports the health and balance of ocean food webs. By protecting leatherbacks, we also help promote the recovery of commercially important fish stocks, contributing to global food security and a healthier ocean.
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Explore Our Leatherback Conservation Projects
Proyecto
Yaug Galu
Monitoring Program
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We are collaborating with the Guna People to launch a long-term sea turtle monitoring program, study in-water habitat use, create conservation culture, and protect the leatherback turtle.
To the Guna People of Guna Yala, a beautiful archipelago off the coast of Panama, leatherbacks aren’t just special, they’re sacred. The Guna view leatherbacks as their ancestors, and have deep cultural and spiritual ties to these incredible creatures, signifying the sea turtles as living legends and cultural icons.​
Iluminar El Mar
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Bycatch Reduction
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We are working closely with fishing cooperatives, the Vice Ministry of Fisheries, local nonprofits, biologists, and university students to develop a multi-phase bycatch reduction program and help prevent the local extinction of East Pacific leatherback sea turtles. This initiative includes testing and implementing bycatch reduction technologies, conducting education and outreach campaigns, monitoring stranding events, surveying communities and fishers, and researching habitat use and overlap with fisheries. Together, these efforts aim to protect endangered species while supporting sustainable coastal livelihoods.
Proyecto CONAP
Nature Conservation
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We are working with local communities in Panama’s Pearl Islands to identify critical sea turtle habitats, especially previously undocumented nesting and foraging sites, while also addressing broader threats like illegal wildlife trade. By partnering with island residents, we’re combining traditional knowledge with science to better understand turtle movements, cultural ties, bycatch in small-scale fisheries, and key threats to survival. This collaborative research will help shape evidence-based strategies to protect leatherbacks and other sea turtle species throughout the Gulf of Panama and beyond.