Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles

A Presentation By 3A and 3B

Leatherback Range

• 60 days to the Galapagos Islands where they winter and mate

• Nest in Costa Rica

The Diving Machine

• Deepest diving reptile

• 4000ft and deeper

• Leather-like shell that compresses under deep water pressure

• Fatty insulation helps control body temp

• Stays under water for 80 minutes

Threats to Diving

• Hooks from long line fishing

• Fishing nets

Decline1980: 200 turtles a night

7 days in a week7 x 200 =1,400 turtles in a week

2011: 3 turtles in the week

Size Comparison

Turtle Decline

Leatherback munch on jellyfish!

Nesting

• Females come every 2-4 years to lay

• Return every 9-10 days

• Lay 50-85 eggs

• Lay largest eggs of all turtles

• Billiard-size eggs

• Laying takes 1.5-2 hours

Threats to Nests

• Human poachers take eggs

• Dogs

• Raccoons

• Coatis

• Houses built near nests that produce white lights

• Bright lights from cars

Hatchlings

• Take 60 days to develop

• Largest of all turtle hatchlings

• 57% success rate of hatching normally

• Temperature determines sex

• After hatching, they swim vigorously for

6-8 days to get to the main currents which take them to their feeding ground

Threats to Hatchlings

• Raccoons

• Birds: pelicans, ospreys, seagulls

• Fish

• Nests that are too shallow so they get too hot and eggs die

• Crabs

• Nests too near water line so they drown