At the same time, longline and gill net fisheries continue to overwhelm waters frequented by leatherbacks. There are only twenty-nine index beaches in the world where these turtles nest, and there is immense pressure to develop most of them into homes or resorts. Why? Because of two primary factors: human redevelopment of nesting beaches and commercial fishing. Leatherbacks have been declining in recent decades, and some predict they will be gone by the end of this century. And what food source sustains these goliaths? Their diet consists almost exclusively of jellyfish, a meal they crisscross the oceans to find. These unusual sea turtles have a thick, pliable shell that helps them to withstand great depths-they can swim more than one thousand meters below the surface in search of food. Weighing as much as 2,000 pounds and reaching lengths of over seven feet, leatherback turtles are the world’s largest reptile. Throughout, in his peerless prose, Safina captures the delicate interaction between these gentle giants and the humans who are playing a significant role in their survival.The most comprehensive book ever written on leatherback sea turtles. We accompany award-winning natural-history expert Safina and his colleagues as they track leatherbacks across the world's oceans and onto remote beaches of every continent, including a thrilling journey from Monterey, California, to nesting grounds in Papua, New Guinea. The distressing decline of these ancient sea turtles in Pacific waters and their surprising recovery in the Atlantic illuminate the results-both positive and negative-of our interventions and the lessons that can be applied, globally, to restore the oceans and their creatures. Īs Carl Safina's compelling natural-history adventure makes clear, the fate of the leatherback turtle is in our hands. We accompany award-winning natural-history expert Safina and his colleagues as they track leatherbacks across the world's oceans.
As Carl Safina's compelling natural-history adventure makes clear, the fate of the leatherback turtle is in our hands.
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