The Leatherback Sea Turtle

EXTINCTION PRESENTATION

BY: RUSH PETERSEN

What is the Leatherback Sea Turtle?• The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest sea turtle in the world, as

it can reach lengths of up to 220cm, and weigh up to 700kg.

• It is the 4th heaviest reptile alive today.

• Leatherbacks have one of the longest migratory routes out of any animal, as every year they make their trip from their feeding grounds to their nesting areas. The full round trip is about 12,000km long, and Leatherbacks swim about 7km per hour, so it takes quite a bit of time.

Why are Leatherback Turtles becoming extinct?

• Leatherback Sea Turtles primarily eat jellyfish, however there new diet also consist of garbage. Plastic bags floating in the ocean look a lot like a jellyfish so the turtles eat them, and because of the way their teeth are designed, the bags get caught in their throats and they suffocate. This is causing many Leatherbacks to die a very painful and unnatural death.

• Leatherback Turtles, like many other marine wildlife commonly get caught in fishing nets.

• Hunting is also a major contributor to why Leatherbacks are endangered.

How Can I Help?

• Humans can help Leatherback Turtles by taking action against the dumping of garbage in oceans.

• You can also help by joining a conservation organization that is working to help save the Leatherback Turtles.

• If you live in a fishing community where Leatherbacks are present, you can try to get fishermen to switch to turtle friendly hooks so no turtles are accidently caught.

Why Should I Care?• In my opinion, Leatherback Sea turtles are some of the most

beautiful and graceful marine animals in the entire world. They are very docile, and show great determination as they travel over 12,000km just to nest.

• They are not going to be around for future generations to experience, which would be a shame as they are very interesting animals due to their size and unique features.

• The most important reason why YOU should take action is because no animal has the right to be killed because of what humans have done, such as the high amount of garbage in our oceans and our need to fish every living organism out of the water, even though they are no needed.