Interactive by Stefan Estrada
Swimming Challenges for Great Turtle Race
Longest Distance Traveled
Total distance traveled, as if measured in a straight line
All adult turtles, males and females both, migrate thousands of miles between feeding and breeding areas on opposite ends of the ocean basins. Over the course of these long journeys, leatherbacks encounter various threats to their survival, including fishing gear, predators, and pollution such as plastic products. Despite these challenges, they keep making the epic migrations, just as they have for millions of years.
Most Dives Lasting More Than One Hour
Number of dives that lasted more than 60 minutes
Not only do leatherbacks dive as deep as whales and seals do, but they can remain submerged for extremely long periods without having to return to the surface to breathe. Routine dives exceed 10 to 15 minutes, but leatherbacks can also dive for more than an hour at a time. Their maximum dive duration is nearly 90 minutes! They perform these long dives using special adaptations to store and use oxygen not only from their lungs but also from their muscles and blood.
Most Number of Deep Dives
Numbers of dives to depths of half a mile (800 meters) or more
Leatherbacks are prolific divers, with the deepest dives exceeding a full kilometer (more than half a mile) into dark ocean waters. They have several special anatomical and physiological adaptations, such as a special arrangement of bones in their shells that makes them somewhat flexible, which allow them to withstand great pressures at depth.
Most Time Spent in Cold Water
Percentage of time spent in water colder than 60° F (15° C)
Leatherbacks are unique among sea turtles and reptiles in general in their ability to maintain high body temperatures in cold water. Leatherbacks have been spotted swimming among ice floes in northern Canada and have been documented in waters off Norway, Argentina, Chile, and Tasmania. They are able to thrive in water so cold that it would kill humans within minutes by generating heat internally during swimming and retaining this heat using their large body size, changes in blood flow, and peripheral insulation (a layer of fat under their skin).