Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Status: needs expert review. A science reviewer should confirm the current IUCN global and subpopulation assessments before approval. The leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest sea turtle in the world and the only one without a hard, scaled shell.

At a glance

Field	Value	Source
Scientific name	Dermochelys coriacea	NOAA Fisheries
Guild	turtle	—
IUCN status	Vulnerable (global; 2013 assessment) — several subpopulations are separately assessed and more imperilled	IUCN Red List
US ESA status	Endangered	NOAA Fisheries
International trade	CITES Appendix I	CITES
Population trend	Decreasing (global)	IUCN Red List
Range	Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans — the widest distribution of any reptile	NOAA Fisheries

Identification

The leatherback is unmistakable: it is the largest living turtle, with adults reaching about 5–6 feet in length and weighing roughly 750–1,000 pounds (NOAA Fisheries). Unlike all other sea turtles, it lacks scales and a hard bony shell. Instead a layer of tough, rubbery skin covers a flexible carapace marked by seven longitudinal ridges (NOAA Fisheries). Its jaws bear pointed, tooth-like cusps adapted to soft prey.

Ecology and behavior

Leatherbacks are specialist predators of soft-bodied prey such as jellyfish and salps; backward-pointing spines in the throat help retain gelatinous food (NOAA Fisheries). They are exceptional divers — NOAA Fisheries reports the deepest recorded dive at nearly 4,000 feet — and they are highly migratory, with some individuals swimming over 10,000 miles a year between nesting and foraging grounds (NOAA Fisheries). Lifespan is estimated at 50 years or more, though it is not precisely known (NOAA Fisheries). As with all sea turtles, females return to nest in the region where they hatched; specific behavioral claims should be cited to published research and confirmed in review.

Conservation status and threats

The IUCN Red List assesses the leatherback globally as Vulnerable (2013 assessment) with a decreasing population trend; several regional subpopulations are assessed separately and some are far more imperilled (IUCN Red List). In the United States the species is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act and is on CITES Appendix I (NOAA Fisheries; CITES). NOAA Fisheries identifies bycatch in fishing gear as the primary threat, alongside egg collection and harvest, nesting-habitat loss, vessel strikes, marine debris (plastic is readily mistaken for gelatinous prey), and climate change. Report figures as the cited authorities state them; a reviewer should confirm subpopulation specifics.

How to observe responsibly

This page does not provide approach guidance. Follow a reviewed observation guide and local regulations, which set minimum distances and nesting-season protections. Never disturb nesting females, hatchlings, or nests, and never use lights on nesting beaches — artificial light disorients hatchlings (ETHICS.md; NOAA Fisheries). Nesting beaches concentrate reproductive females and are sensitive; this page keeps to regional granularity only. Choose operators that keep their distance and never handle turtles.

How you can help

• Log sightings to a recognized citizen-science platform (see the iNaturalist dataset card).
• Support bycatch-reduction work (e.g. circle hooks and turtle excluder devices) through credible organizations.
• On nesting coasts, support lights-out and beach-protection programs, and reduce single-use plastics that reach the ocean.