A Leatherback Nest!

 Exciting news!  Early Monday morning we received confirmation of our first Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) nest in Cocoa Beach.

• Leatherback sea turtles are protected as an endangered species.
• Leatherback sea turtles are black with blue, pink, and white splotches throughout the body.
• The leatherback sea turtle has a shell comprised of a thick layer of fatty tissue overlayed with a mosaic of tiny bones, and covered with a thin layer of skin.
• Leatherbacks average six feet in length and range of 500 to 1,500 pounds (Stewart and Johnson 2006).
• The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle in the world (NMFS and USFWS 1992).
• The leatherback’s diet primarily consists of jellyfish and salps (sac-like filter feeders).
• Nesting occurs on sandy beaches from late February and peaks in May; however, nests have been found as late as August (Stewart and Johnson 2006).
• The average clutch size is 73 yolked eggs and 25 yolkless eggs, also called “spacers”. The purpose of the spacers is unclear. 
• The age of sexual maturity is poorly understood for this species (Stewart and Johnson 2006)
• Leatherbacks can be found in marine waters throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. 
• Nesting in the United States usually occurs in Florida, Puerto Rico and St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands).