We all know what a special place Amelia Island is, and apparently, so do the sea turtles. On the heels of our very endangered Kemps Ridley nest, we had another rare species nest on the island this week. The giant leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtle is the largest and most active of the sea turtles; it travels the farthest, dives the deepest, and ventures into the coldest water. The largest leatherback ever recorded was almost 10 feet long from its nose across the curve of the shell to its tail.
A leatherback turtle cannot be confused with any other animal. Adults have a smooth, scaleless black shell raised into seven ridges that extend the length of the back. The limbs, head and back are often marked by white blotches. The rubbery top shell has a thick layer of oily, vascularized, cartilaginous material, strengthened by a mosaic of thousands of small bones, Powerful front flippers make the leatherback a strong swimmer, capable of traveling thousands of miles over open ocean and against fast currents.
Leatherback turtles eat soft-bodied animals such as jellyfish. Jellyfish are an energy-poor food source because they are mostly water, so it is remarkable that a large, active animal can live on this diet. Small animals found in association with jellyfish such as crabs may supplement their diet, but it is unknown if these items are actually digested.
The leatherback turtle is found throughout the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, from as far north as Alaska to as far south as Chile, the Cape of Good Hope, and the southern end of New Zealand. It also inhabits the relatively shallow waters along the northern Gulf of Mexico, the east and west coasts of Florida and north through coastal New England. The leatherback is known to travel as far 3000 miles from its nesting beaches. Nesting occurs on tropical and subtropical mainland shores, especially in New Guinea, Indonesia, Central America, and the southern coast of Mexico.
Leatherbacks have nested on Amelia Island in the past. The last leatherback nest found here was in 2019. Leatherback nesting activity for 2024 has been very active along the beaches of south Florida. The leatherback that nested here this past week squirted out 3 little eggs as she was returning to the ocean. We were able to save these eggs for genetic research. This will provide just one more piece to the puzzle of these amazing ancient mariners.