Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting — Dominica
Dermochelys coriacea
Quick Fact
Leatherback sea turtles can dive deeper than 1,000 metres and travel over 10,000 km between feeding and nesting grounds.
Filmed during Rowan Byrne's fieldwork with the Rosalie Sea Turtle Initiative, Dominica.
About This Species
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the world's largest reptile and one of the most ancient animals on Earth, having survived for more than 100 million years. Unlike other sea turtles, leatherbacks lack a hard shell — instead they have a flexible, leathery carapace reinforced by thousands of tiny bone fragments. Females return to the same beaches where they were born to nest, sometimes travelling thousands of kilometres across open ocean. Dominica's beaches are among the most important nesting sites in the Caribbean.
Why It Matters
Leatherbacks are critically endangered. Their nesting beaches are threatened by coastal development, light pollution, and rising sea levels caused by climate change. Protecting nesting sites is essential to the survival of the species.
Transcript
I've spent many nights on the beaches of Dominica watching leatherback sea turtles come ashore to nest. And every single time, it stops me in my tracks. The leatherback is the largest turtle on Earth — up to two metres long and weighing over 900 kilograms. She's been doing this for 100 million years. Long before humans existed. She hauls herself up the beach, finds a spot above the high-tide line, and digs a nest with her rear flippers. Then she lays around 80 fertilised eggs — and 30 or so infertile ones that act as spacers to protect the real eggs. The whole process takes about 90 minutes. She covers the nest, disguises it, and returns to the sea. She'll never see her hatchlings. Leatherbacks are critically endangered. Egg poaching, beach development, plastic pollution, and bycatch in fishing gear are all taking their toll. But here in Dominica, local conservation efforts are making a real difference. Nest monitoring, community patrols, and education programmes are giving these ancient animals a fighting chance. If you ever get the chance to witness a leatherback nesting — do it. It will change how you see the ocean forever.