After a two-year absence, endangered Leatherback Turtles have been spotted again off the central coast of California this past summer.
Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been tagging and monitoring the Leatherbacks, which have seen population declines of 90% in the last 25 years (despite being a species that has survived for over 100 million years).
It’s thought that the turtles were lured back to California by an increase of jellyfish populations, which they love to eat. Their stinging tentacles make for an irresistible snack after the 7,000-mile swim across the Pacific from Indonesia and the Solomon Islands, where the turtles nest and lay their eggs. The huge abundance of jellyfish apparently is caused by increased upwelling of nutrients like krill and plankton from just above the sea floor this past year.
The Leatherback Turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles. They average about 6 feet long and can weigh from 500-1500 lbs!
Tags: General, leatherback turtle, sea turtles