A Western Pacific leatherback turtle migrating from its nesting site in the Solomon Islands dives as deep as 1,344 m to feed, surprising scientists.
Earlier this year, the Western Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) left their nesting grounds in the Solomon Islands and dived to a depth of 1,344 m below the sea surface, according to environmental organization The Nature Conservancy, Live Science reported on June 14. At that depth, it broke the current Guinness World Record for the deepest dive (1,280 m) achieved by another leatherback. For comparison, US Navy submarines can dive to 900 m, while the deepest human dive with oxygen is 332 m.
Scientists record data in satellite monitoring research to protect leatherback turtles. One of the turtles wearing the tag even swam across the Pacific Ocean. Peter Waldie, a marine scientist in charge of The Nature Conservancy’s Solomon Islands Program, described the deep dive and migration as “truly astonishing”. “The leatherback turtle is a special creature in the world,” commented Waldie. “Their ability to swim nonstop across the Pacific Ocean and dive deeper than a naval submarine with a single breath amazed me.”
A spokesman for Guinness World Records said they are working with experts to confirm new records, usually after scientific publication. “For natural and scientific records of this type, we will wait until the discovery is approved and published in a journal before considering it,” the spokesman said.
Leatherback turtles have evolved many adaptations for deep diving. Although they breathe like humans, leatherback turtles can hold their breath for much longer and stay underwater for about 90 minutes at a time. Their specialized shell also contracts and expands with changes in pressure, helping them survive the extreme pressures of the deep sea. Scientists have a few theories about why leatherback turtles dive so deep, but tracking research suggests they dive to feed on jellyfish, which move up and down the water column.
Leatherback turtles spend most of their time at sea, but female turtles come ashore for short periods of time to lay eggs. Leatherback turtles nesting in the Solomon Islands are part of a critically endangered Western Pacific population that includes an estimated 1,400 breeding-age adults, according to The Nature Conservancy.
Since 2022, Waldie and colleagues have tagged 17 nesting leatherback turtles in Isabel province in the Solomon Islands, where local staff from The Nature Conservancy protect sea turtles and their eggs from poachers and animals. eat meat. Record-setting leatherback turtle lays eggs on Sasakolo beach. Local staff call it “Uke Sasakolo”, which means “coming from Sasakolo”. It broke the current deep diving record on March 25, not long after leaving its nesting site, according to Waldie.
Uke Sasakolo nest during the breeding season in the Solomon Islands, which occurs from November to January. The tagged turtles often migrate to southern Australian waters and New Zealand after that. However, a turtle arrived on the island in June swimming east. The turtle named “Aunty June” swam across the Pacific Ocean and reached a feeding area off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Waldie hopes further research will help confirm whether midyear nesting turtles like Aunty June typically swim an eastward migration route.