Leatherback sea turtles are the largest living reptiles and face population collapse due to bycatch, plastic ingestion, beach development, and climate change.
Leatherback sea turtles face multiple welfare threats across their entire lifecycle. Bycatch entanglement causes drowning, exhaustion, and injury from hooks or lines — survivors may have permanent injuries affecting diving and foraging ability. Plastic ingestion causes internal obstruction, nutritional deficiency, and a slow death. Nesting females hauling themselves up beaches encounter artificial lighting that disorients hatchlings, boat strikes, and human disturbance. Climate-driven temperature changes affecting incubation represent a systemic threat to population viability. Each individual turtle represents decades of investment — leatherbacks can live 50+ years — making each mortality a significant loss.