At almost 2 metres long, over 1 metre wide, and over 450 kilograms, they are the largest turtles in the world. Leatherbacks are strong swimmers. They spend most of their time in the ocean. They use their front flippers like paddles and their back ones to steer. Find out more about Swimming.
Leatherbacks eat jellyfish and other soft-bodied animals.
A floating plastic bag looks just like a jellyfish, but it will choke a sea turtle. Find out more about Food. The female leatherback comes ashore to nest. She crawls up at night, digs a hole in the sand, and lays 80 to 100 eggs. At dawn, she returns to the sea.