Plan Your Visit Today Often referred to as the champion of all
sea turtles, the leatherback turtle grows the largest, dives the
deepest, and travels the furthest. Leatherbacks are also the
only sea turtles without a hard shell, making them very
susceptible to harm. Adults of this species can grow 4 to 8 feet
in length and can weigh 500 to 2000 pounds. Females nest an
average of 5 to 7 times within a nesting season, which occurs
from March to July in the United States. The leatherback can be
seen worldwide from the tropical and temperate waters of the
Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They have been found in
small numbers in British Columbia, Newfoundland, the British
Isles, Australia, Cape of Good Hope, and Argentina.