Leatherback Sea Turtle Facts
- Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles on Earth.
- A leatherback sea turtle can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.
- Leatherback turtles are very long. They can be as long as 6 feet.
- Leatherbacks are one of the most endangered animals on Earth.
- A leatherback sea turtle can live up to 45 years old.
- Only about one in 1,000 leatherback sea turtles survives to be an adult.
Why They are Endangered
These turtles are often caught by accident in fishing nets. Stuck underwater, they drown. Sea turtle nesting habitats are also being destroyed, and the eggs they do lay are illegally collected by people for food. Pollution also affects the turtles. This is horrible and people need to stop this.
What People Can do to Help Prevent This Problem
If people do go fishing they should try to avoid areas that have a bigger turtle population. Those people have every right to fish but they shouldn't be able to fish in an area with turtles. Where sea turtle nests are located should be private and off limits to the public. If we want turtles to stay alive then we need more and more of them to be hatched so they can get to the ocean. So these areas should be closed off. Areas/beaches where turtle eggs are located should be off limits to the public as well. People shouldn't pollute the ocean because this is a big problem for the turtles. The turtles tend to eat the plastic that is left in the ocean because they mistake it for jellyfish (Their main food), which isn't good for their bodies.