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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 ~40% in a week ~80%
36 Verified sightings at Tortuguero National Park From 2019 to 2026
65 In all 3 parks
June 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 Tortuguero National Park
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 Tortuguero National Park
No species of the same family or order lives in Tortuguero National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Leatherback Sea Turtle in Tortuguero National Park?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Leatherback Sea Turtle sighting in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 24th most-seen of the 34 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, 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 Tortuguero National Park?
June
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Leatherback Sea Turtle in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to February, 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 Tortuguero National Park the best place to see a Leatherback Sea Turtle?
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Leatherback Sea Turtle sightings, Tortuguero National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (Costa Rica, about 20%).
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 Tortuguero National Park (36 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.
