Description: The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living turtle and one of the most massive reptiles on earth. Large adults can reach up to 244 cm and possibly weigh up to 867 kg (Ernst and Barbour 1989). Unlike most other turtles, the shell is covered by leathery skin interspersed with small bony plates. These plates coalesce to form seven distinct longitudinal ridges on the carapace. The carapace is elongated and tapers to a point posteriorly. While adults are usually a dark shade of grey, juveniles are nearly black and the longitudinal ridges and fins are lined with light spots.
Biology: Though other food items are taken, this species seems to feed predominantly on jellyfish. Several dead individuals have been found with plastic bags in their stomach that were apparently mistaken for jellyfish and consumed (Ernst and Barbour 1989). In the Pacific nesting takes place at various times depending on location. 50-170 eggs are laid in chambers that may be up to a meter deep. Hatching occurs 53-74 days later. Leatherback turtles are declining throughout their range (NMFS & USFS 1998) and are considered an endangered species under both the U.S. endangered species act and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
Distribution: This sea turtle occurs throughout the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. It reaches surprising latitudes, individuals have been observed as far north as Alaska and Iceland (Ernst and Barbour 1989). It is rare in the Mariana Islands and is not known to have ever nested in the region. In aerial surveys of Guam in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, leatherbacks made up 2.6 % of the sea turtles sightings. They are occasionally encountered in the pelagic waters of the CNMI (NMFS & USFS 1998).
Ernst C. H. and R.W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institute. 313 pp.
NMFS & USFWS. 1998b. Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations of the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD. 76 pp.