Leatherback Sea Turtle
By: Kaitlyn R
The leatherback Sea Turtle is the 7th most endangered animal in the world. The leatherback Sea Turtle lives in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. leatherbacks are easily told apart from other marine turtles because of their leathery back, long front flippers, and their shell isn't as hard as other turtles. They are also known as the biggest marine turtle and one of the biggest reptiles. the Leatherbacks carapace (shell) is dark with light spots. Their diet remains of other marine life such as jellyfish and squid.
The Pacific and Atlantic Ocean leatherback Sea Turtles are both critically endangered. There are about 2,300 female adult leatherbacks in the Pacific Ocean. In the Atlantic Ocean there are a lot more, but their likely to decline because of fishing fleets. There are a ton of things that are effecting the leatherback Sea Turtle in a bad way. These include habitat loss, wildlife trade, incidental capture, collection of eggs and meat for consumption, climate change, and pollution. All of these things are harming the turtles in a terrible way.
The leatherback Sea Turtle is being helped from many foundations and causes. WWF is helping leatherbacks from Central and South America, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. They are protecting the turtles nests on beaches and raising awareness in communities so they can help protect them too. Also WWF is promoting regional agreements with America to help conserve the leatherback turtles. Lastly, they are watching out for bycatch of the sea turtles by making new modifications.