A Western Pacific leatherback turtle migrating from its nesting site in the Solomon Islands surprised scientists by diving as deep as 1,344 m to feed. Earlier this year, the Western Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) left their nesting grounds in the Solomon Islands and dove to a record depth of 1,344 m below the sea surface. This dive broke the current Guinness World Record for the deepest dive achieved by another leatherback turtle. For comparison, US Navy submarines can dive to 900 m, while the deepest human dive with oxygen is 332 m.
Scientists monitor data in satellite tracking research to protect leatherback turtles. One turtle wearing a tracking tag even swam across the Pacific Ocean. Peter Waldie, a marine scientist with The Nature Conservancy’s Solomon Islands Program, described the deep dive and migration as “truly astonishing.” Leatherback turtles have evolved adaptations for deep diving, such as the ability to hold their breath for up to 90 minutes underwater.
Leatherback turtles have specialized shells that expand and contract with changes in pressure, allowing them to survive the extreme pressures of the deep sea. They dive deep to feed on jellyfish, which move up and down the water column. Female leatherback turtles come ashore briefly to lay eggs, but spend most of their time at sea. The nesting population in the Solomon Islands is critically endangered, with an estimated 1,400 breeding-age adults.
Since 2022, researchers have tagged 17 nesting leatherback turtles in the Solomon Islands to track their movements. A record-setting leatherback turtle named “Uke Sasakolo” laid eggs on Sasakolo beach and broke the deep diving record in March. Another turtle named “Aunty June” swam across the Pacific Ocean to a feeding area off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, surprising researchers. Further research will help confirm migration patterns of these remarkable creatures.