Marine life profile

Leatherback sea turtle

Recorded at 1 dive sites

Where divers encounter it

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The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), sometimes called the lute turtle, leathery turtle or simply the luth, is a large species of sea turtle. It alternates between relaxed cruising, feeding and resting, surfacing periodically to breathe.

Dive sites1

Countries1

Animal groupTurtles

Safety profileGenerally Harmless

Meet the species

What to look for

How to Recognize It

Look for a streamlined shell, paddle-shaped front flippers and a beaked face built for its preferred food.

How It Behaves

It alternates between relaxed cruising, feeding and resting, surfacing periodically to breathe.

Special Ability

Powerful navigation instincts guide long journeys between feeding grounds and nesting beaches.

Dive responsibly

Share the water well

How to Approach

Stay beside or slightly behind it, never above it when it needs to surface. Let the turtle set the pace.

Safety

Do not touch, feed, ride or block a turtle. Maintain distance at cleaning stations and around resting animals.

Worth knowing

The detail you remember

Interesting Facts

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).

Where to Find

Look around seagrass meadows, coral reefs, rocky feeding grounds and protected bays with access to the surface.

Known countries

Cyprus