Leatherback Sea Turtles and Plastic Ingestion

Leatherback sea turtles are highly vulnerable to plastic pollution because they mistake floating plastic bags for their jellyfish prey, with fatal consequences for individuals and populations.

Key Facts

Leatherbacks are the largest living sea turtles, reaching up to 2 meters and 900 kg
Their diet consists almost entirely of jellyfish and other gelatinous zooplankton
Plastic bags floating in the ocean closely resemble jellyfish from below the surface
Studies find plastic in over a third of leatherback strandings, with some animals having stomachs full of debris
Ingested plastic causes intestinal blockage, internal lacerations, false satiation, and eventual starvation
Leatherback populations have declined by over 40 percent since the 1980s
Plastic ingestion is a significant and growing threat alongside bycatch and egg harvesting

Welfare Considerations

Leatherbacks that ingest plastic suffer chronic gastrointestinal obstruction, nutrient deprivation, and pain from internal injuries. Animals may feel sated from a stomach full of indigestible material while slowly starving. Death from plastic ingestion is prolonged and painful. Because leatherbacks depend on jellyfish blooms that concentrate in the same surface zones as plastic debris, the exposure risk is structurally high and will increase as ocean plastic accumulates. Reducing plastic entering the ocean, particularly single-use bags, directly reduces leatherback suffering at scale.

What You Can Do

Refuse single-use plastic bags and switch to reusable alternatives
Participate in beach and waterway clean-ups to remove plastic before it reaches the ocean
Support policies that ban or tax single-use plastics in your region
Donate to organizations working on leatherback bycatch reduction and nesting beach protection
Reduce your overall plastic consumption and advocate for extended producer responsibility legislation