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Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Silhouette: Neil Kelley · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassTestudines
- FamilyDermochelyidae (Leatherback Sea Turtles)
- GenusDermochelys (Leatherback Sea Turtles)
- SpeciesDermochelys coriacea (Leatherback Sea Turtle)
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
16 Verified sightings at Ostional Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026
65 In all 3 parks
July Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted
About the Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), sometimes called the lute turtle, leathery turtle or simply the luth, is a large species of sea turtle. The largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, it reaches lengths of up to 2.7 metres (8 ft 10 in) and weights of 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell; instead, its carapace is covered by oily flesh and flexible, leather-like skin, for which it is named. Leatherback turtles have a global range, although there are multiple distinct subpopulations. The species as a whole is considered vulnerable, and some of its subpopulations are critically endangered.
Dermochelys coriacea is the only species in genus Dermochelys. The genus, in turn, contains the only extant member of the family Dermochelyidae. Domenico Agostino Vandelli named the species first in 1761 as Testudo coriacea after an animal captured at Ostia and donated to the University of Padua by Pope Clement XIII. In 1816, French zoologist Henri Blainville... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Recording0:22
Trinidad & Tobago · 2025
© Peter Bregler · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Leatherback Sea Turtle in Ostional Wildlife Refuge
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Route Safari Camp | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 3 | A.Y. Reyes Zoological and Botanical Garden | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 4 | SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Aquário de Ubatuba | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Closest Relatives at Ostional Wildlife Refuge
No species of the same family or order lives in Ostional Wildlife Refuge, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Leatherback Sea Turtle in Ostional Wildlife Refuge?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Leatherback Sea Turtle sighting in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Leatherback Sea Turtle in Ostional Wildlife Refuge?
July and December
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Leatherback Sea Turtle in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in February–June and September–November, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Leatherback Sea Turtle?
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Leatherback Sea Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Is Ostional Wildlife Refuge the best place to see a Leatherback Sea Turtle?
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Leatherback Sea Turtle sightings, Ostional Wildlife Refuge has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%) and La Amistad International Park (Panama) (Panama, under 5%).
Where does the Leatherback Sea Turtle sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Leatherback Sea Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (16 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
