Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea — The deep-diving ancient giant of the ocean, wearing a unique leathery shell.
Overview
The Leatherback is the absolute king of sea turtles—growing up to 2 meters long and weighing as much as a small car. It is the only sea turtle that lacks a hard, bony shell. Instead, its carapace is made of a thick, flexible, rubbery skin embedded with thousands of tiny bone plates, forming distinct vertical ridges along its back.
This hydrodynamic, flexible design allows them to withstand the immense pressure of the deep ocean, diving deeper than any other sea turtle species (over 1,200 meters!). They are specialized jellyfish eaters, keeping marine ecosystems balanced by controlling jellyfish populations globally.
Critical Threats
Despite surviving since the era of the dinosaurs, Leatherbacks are now highly endangered in many parts of the world:
- The Plastic Crisis: Floating clear plastic bags look exactly like jellyfish underwater. Ingesting even a single plastic bag is highly fatal to a Leatherback.
- Egg Theft: Because their nests are massive, poachers heavily target Leatherback eggs on remote coastlines.
The ridged, pitch-black leathery carapace designed for deep sea travel.
Nesting in Sri Lanka
Leatherbacks are extremely rare and sensitive nesters. They rarely enter enclosed hatcheries because their soft shells get injured easily by concrete walls. Therefore, our conservation focus for Leatherbacks involves direct **In-Situ protection**—meaning we guard their massive natural nests right on the beaches where they lay them to ensure they hatch safely under natural conditions.