The Leatherback Sea Turtle Is the Size of a Small Car

The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle species, with adults reaching lengths of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) and weights exceeding 2,000 pounds (907 kg).

Instead of a bony shell like what you'll find on loggerhead sea turtles or green sea turtles, leatherbacks have a streamlined, leathery carapace, which helps them glide effortlessly through the water. Their unique shell structure also allows them to withstand the crushing pressures of the deep ocean.

Their ridged back also distinguishes them from other sea turtle species. These ridges improve their hydrodynamics, making them efficient long-distance swimmers. Their dark-colored skin, often speckled with white or pink spots, provides excellent camouflage in the open ocean.

While there is only one species of leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), populations are often categorized by their oceanic regions.

Pacific leatherback sea turtles, for example, are renowned for their incredible migrations from tropical and subtropical beaches in Indonesia to feeding grounds along the West Coast of the United States.

Atlantic leatherbacks also have distinct migratory patterns, often traveling between the warm waters of the Caribbean and cooler northern Atlantic feeding areas.

These regional groups face different environmental challenges, from fisheries bycatch to climate change, but all contribute to the species' global distribution.

Leatherback turtles are generally solitary creatures, rarely interacting with others of their kind outside of mating. Unlike more social species, such as loggerhead sea turtles, leatherbacks spend the majority of their lives in the open ocean, foraging and traveling vast distances alone.

During the nesting season, however, female leatherbacks return to the same tropical and subtropical beaches where they were born. These nesting beaches become bustling hubs of activity as females dig nests and lay their eggs. It's one of the few times these otherwise solitary animals come together.

Leatherbacks are jellyfish afficionados, dining almost exclusively on gelatinous prey. This diet sets them apart from other sea turtle species, such as the herbivorous green turtles or the omnivorous loggerhead sea turtles.

The leatherbacks' backward-pointing throat spines help them grip slippery jellyfish, preventing their prey from escaping.

This specialized diet plays an important role in marine ecosystems, as leatherbacks help control jellyfish populations. However, it also makes them vulnerable to plastic pollution. Mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish can lead to fatal blockages in their digestive systems.

Leatherbacks are the ultimate ocean travelers, inhabiting every ocean except the Arctic. They’re frequently found in the Pacific Ocean, where Pacific leatherback sea turtles traverse thousands of miles between feeding and nesting sites.

From the warm waters of tropical and subtropical beaches to the cold depths of the open ocean, leatherbacks are true nomads.

Their ability to regulate body temperature — unusual for reptiles — enables them to survive in a wide range of climates. This adaptation allows leatherbacks to forage in nutrient-rich waters far from their tropical nesting beaches.

The life cycle of a leatherback turtle begins when females return to nesting beaches to lay their eggs, digging deep nests in the sand.

Each clutch contains around 80 to100 eggs, which incubate for about 60 days. Once they hatch, sea turtle hatchlings face a perilous journey from the nest to the ocean, dodging predators like crabs and seabirds.

Surviving hatchlings spend years drifting in ocean currents, feeding and growing until they mature. Leatherbacks reach sexual maturity between 10 and 20 years of age, and females return to their birth beaches to lay eggs — a behavior known as natal homing.

Their incredible lifespan can exceed 50 years, but few make it to adulthood due to natural and human-made threats.

Leatherback turtles are classified as vulnerable globally, with some populations, such as Pacific leatherback sea turtles, listed as critically endangered.

Threats include habitat loss, bycatch in fishing gear, climate change and plastic pollution. Endangered leatherback turtles are also impacted by the destruction of nesting beaches due to coastal development and rising sea levels.

Efforts under the Endangered Species Act and global sea turtle conservation initiatives aim to protect these majestic creatures.

From safeguarding nesting beaches to reducing bycatch, humans are working hard to give leatherbacks a fighting chance. Their survival depends on continued efforts to address the challenges they face in our ever-changing oceans.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.