Leatherback Sea Turtles have been here for over 65 million
years. They have witnessed the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise
of humanity. Their habitat spans the globe from the North Atlantic
near the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific around New Zealand.
Extraordinary creatures, they hold important secrets about biology
and medicine. Leatherbacks are the largest turtle, reaching a shell
length of 1.7m and a mass of 700kg. In 1980 there were over 115,000
adult females, but there are now less than 25,000 worldwide, and
they are close to extinction in the Pacific Ocean. If action is
not taken soon to protect leatherbacks in the ocean and on nesting
beaches the leatherback will disappear in our lifetime.
(adult leatherback, photo credit: Leron Tonge,
21, Antigua and Barbuda
morning leatherback, photo credit: '08 Playa Grande Field Team
)
Baulas Blend Coffee
Enjoy this excellent gourmet coffee and help the
leatherback sea turtle in the process!
Learn more...
The Great Turtle Race II, sponsored in part by The Leatherback
Trust.
Follow 11 leatherback turtles on a two-week
journey as they swim from their nesting sites on Playa Grande beach
in Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands.
Learn
more...
Turtle Website of Interest
An online library for sea turtle journal articles, where visitors
can search for primary literature references related to sea turtles,
and view the reference abstract with a link to the full-text
version. Also includes conservation information, a discussion
board, and a links page. www.ccaretta.com
What can one person do to save leatherbacks?
Maybe you could write books. Or start a lemonade
stand to raise money. Or perhaps you could give talks at local
schools and events to raise awareness. How about organizing an
Earth Day event and raising money? Well, one person has already
done ALL of those things, and she's still only 7 years old. Read
more about the inspiring Meghan Taschenberger...
Leatherback Trust products now available at Zazzle
Your purchases help support the work of the Leatherback Trust...
click below...
buy
Leatherback products at Zazzle
Recommended Reading
 Turtle
Summer is a delightful book about sea turtles and sea life written
by award winning author Mary Alice Monroe and with photos by Barbara
J. Bergwerf. Aimed at young readers and those young at heart it
tells the story of loggerhead turtle nesting and the efforts by
turtle people to protect their nests and their hatchlings. It includes
many lovely pictures of sea life and birds along the Carolina shore.
A must read for all those who summer at the Shore. Learn
more...
Johnny Glidden, Sea Turtle Champion
Johnny Glidden first became aware of the plight
of the sea turtle during a family trip to Hawaii in 2004. By age
7, it had become his mission to save the Leatherback, after reading
Dr. James Spotila’s book, Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide
to Their Biology, Behavior and Conservation. Learn
more about this amazing young champion's efforts to help the leatherback...
Save the Leatherback Campaign
More than 1,000 scientists call for U.N. ban
on longlining in the Pacific – U.N. General Assembly adopts
resolution to benefit endangered turtles. Read
details (PDF), or learn more at SeaTurtles.org |
