The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living turtle, distinguishable by its black, leathery carapace lacking the hard scutes found on other sea turtles. These open-ocean wanderers dive deeper than most marine reptiles, pursuing jellyfish into cold waters where their unique physiology—including a layer of insulating fat—allows them to maintain body heat. Leatherbacks migrate vast distances across ocean basins and are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, threatened by fishing nets, plastic ingestion, and loss of nesting beaches.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Order
- Testudines
- Family
- Dermochelyidae
- Genus
- Dermochelys
Most likely to be seen at
Sites where its range and habitat make it likely — not yet confirmed by a logged sighting.