Leatherback turtle  (Dermochelys coriacea)

Range

Found throughout the world's oceans with the widest distribution of all the turtles, the leatherback has been recorded as far north as Alaska and as far south as the tip of South Africa (1). These turtles often undertake long-distance migrations, between feeding grounds in temperate waters and nesting beaches in the tropics, sometimes surpassing 7,000 kilometres over several months (7).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

Adults are truly pelagic; they are strong swimmers inhabiting the open seas. Mature females prefer to nest on sandy tropical beaches with deep-water approaches, although shallow water beaches are also used in certain regions. Very little is known about juvenile leatherbacks in the ocean, although recently some small individuals have been found concentrated in waters off western Africa (8).

left