This is the first leatherback I ever saw. Spectacular species. It started raining very hard as the female was covering her eggs, so we left before she entered back into the water.
Here are CNN and Telegraph articles on the Aventures Sans Frontières group that are patrolling the beaches and offering educational tours to visitors.
A small group of turtle monitors and visitors stayed with this female from 3-5 am. During nesting, only red lights were used to minimize disturbance. Flash photography was only permitted when the turtle was close to entering the surf. It was the second leatherback we encountered during the night, and the third sea turtle.
Here are CNN and Telegraph articles on the Aventures Sans Frontières group that are patrolling the beaches and offering educational tours to visitors.
Leatherback sea turtle seen off the coast of Santa Cruz on the 8 of july 2012 eating a jellyfish. This photo was taken by John Warren.
Another Leatherback seen off the coast of California in Gulf of Farallons National Marin Sanctuary.
Endangered Leatherback Sea turtle observed off the shore of California in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Large sea turtle with ridged back seen on the way back to Half Moon Bay from the Farallon Islands. Location approximate.
1000 fathom line past Wilmington Canyon while fishing out of Ocean City, M.D.
The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell. Instead, its carapace is covered by skin and oily flesh. Dermochelys coriacea is the only extant member of the family Dermochelyidae. Instead of teeth, the leatherback turtle...
