Tracking Baby Leatherbacks

Leatherback turtles are amazing ocean creatures – for starters, they never stop swimming! But beyond the basics, there’s a lot scientists still don’t know about the turtle species, especially at the hatchling and juvenile sizes. In order to best protect the species, researchers first need to understand more about the animals – like where they travel as juveniles and adults – so that marine safeguards can be properly put in place.

A lab in Florida has the solution: they’re studying hatchlings by using tiny tethers, so young leatherbacks can swim constantly but avoid bumping into the wall of the tank. When they’re old enough, the young turtles are fitted with satellite trackers and released into the wild. Those trackers will transmit valuable data for the first month, before they safely fall off as the turtles continue to grow.