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SPECIES PROFILE

Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Dermochelys

IUCN STATUS

Vulnerable

Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) — Nests in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide; forages in cold temperate and subarctic waters; Pacific population nests primarily in Mexico and Costa Rica

CONSERVATION STATUS

Vulnerable

CLASS

Reptilia

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE

Nests in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide; forages in cold temperate and subarctic waters; Pacific population nests primarily in Mexico and Costa Rica

DIET

Carnivore

HABITAT

Open ocean (pelagic); nests on tropical and subtropical sandy beaches; the most wide-ranging of all sea turtles

🔬 Classification

PHYLUM

Chordata

CLASS

Reptilia

ORDER

Testudines

FAMILY

Dermochelyidae

GENUS

Dermochelys

📋 Description

SIZE

1.4–1.8 m carapace; 250–700 kg — the world's largest reptile

COLORATION

Black rubbery skin with white to pale spots; no hard shell — the back has a leathery carapace with seven longitudinal ridges; enormous front flippers

ADAPTATIONS

Unique among reptiles in lacking a hard shell; generates body heat through its large muscle mass; can dive deeper than 1,200 m — deeper than any other reptile

🌿 Ecology

HABITAT

Open ocean (pelagic); nests on tropical and subtropical sandy beaches; the most wide-ranging of all sea turtles

DIET

Carnivore

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Nests in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide; forages in cold temperate and subarctic waters; Pacific population nests primarily in Mexico and Costa Rica

REPRODUCTION

Female returns to natal beach every 2–3 years; lays 4–7 clutches of 80–100 eggs per season; incubation 60–70 days; hatchlings emerge at night

DIET DETAILS

Jellyfish almost exclusively; also salps and other gelatinous zooplankton; consumes its own body weight in jellyfish daily

⚠️ Threats & Conservation

PRIMARY THREATS

Bycatch in longline and drift-net fisheries; plastic bag ingestion (mistaken for jellyfish); egg poaching; nesting beach development; climate change

💡 Interesting Facts

1

The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the world's largest reptile and deepest-diving turtle — it can reach depths of over 1,200 m and travel over 20,000 km across oceans between nesting and foraging areas.

2

Leatherbacks can maintain a body temperature up to 18°C above the surrounding water through a countercurrent heat exchange system, allowing them to forage in near-freezing sub-Arctic waters.

🔭 Sighting Guide

📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT

Mexiquillo beach near Maruata, Michoacán, is a major Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting beach on Mexico's Pacific coast

Maruata beach near Aquila, Michoacán, is a protected nesting site for Leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles

Barra de la Cruz beach near Huatulco, Oaxaca, has Leatherback and Olive Ridley nesting from late autumn

🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT

October to January for nighttime nesting on Mexiquillo and Maruata beaches in Michoacán; turtle camp programmes allow supervised nest watching.

🎯 SIGHTING TIPS

Autumn nesting. Leatherbacks nest on Pacific beaches of Michoacán and Guerrero from October to January; Mexiquillo beach is a key site.