• Range: Widely distributed and can be found in colder waters due to ability to thermo-regulate. Highly pelagic species
• Population: In 1980, the population was estimated (Ripple) at between 70,000 and 115,000 but since then it has declined at an alarming rate to its present estimate (Spotila) of about 34,500. Most important rookeries are northern coast of South America, especially French Guiana. Also good populations in Mexico. Serious declines are being observed in Malaysian nesting sites (Terengganu - Limpus/Bjorndal).

• Email - 18/03/01 - Leatherbacks in Gandoca, Costa Rica.

I would like to comment that in your page you show that the rookery of leatherbacks in gandoca/manzanillo beach is declining and this is WRONG. We have 5.8% of increase. If you need more information you can check the XXI International Symposium for more information. 

Please, change the data. I understand that you are using the Spotila et al. (1996) paper but this is wrong too. 

I´m the person in charge in Gandoca since 1994.

I have recored increases in some small rookeries - Sandy Point (Virgin islands), Trinidad, Culebra (Puerto Rico) and Gandoca, Costa Rica.

 

Cheers 

Didiher Chacón

• Email - 04/07/01 - Leatherbacks reported by Jesus Aquirre (PhD researcher) on Bioke island, Equatorial Guinea, Central West Africa. 200-400 nesting females.

• Some recent articles and papers are:
  • Hell for Leatheries - an article by Tom Langton in the BBC Wildlife Magazine (March 1999, Vol.17, no.3)
  • Worldwide Population Decline of Dermochelys coriacea:
    Are Leatherback Turtles Going Extinct? (1996?)
    James R. Spotila^1,4, Arthur E. Dunham² , Alison J. Leslie¹, Anthony C. Steyermark¹, Pamela T. Plotkin¹, Frank V. Paladino³

    ¹Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104
    ²Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
    ³Department of Biology, Indiana Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN 46805
    ⁴Corresponding author Fax: 215-895-1273;
    E-mail: Spotila@coasmail.drexel.edu
    Contact author for details or at the following website address:
    http://www.coas.drexel.edu/environ/leatherback/popdec.html

  • Also see the key website for this species: Leatherback Task Force
  • New paper by Spotila (1998) - goto http://www.coas.drexel.edu/environ/leatherback/lb_mortality.html