A Pacific leatherback turtle migrated from its nesting site in the Solomon Islands and dove to a depth of 1,344 meters in search of food, surprising scientists.
Earlier this year, the Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) left its nesting ground in the Solomon Islands and plunged down to a depth of 1,344 meters below the ocean surface, according to the environmental organization The Nature Conservancy, as reported by Live Science on June 14. At that depth, it broke the current Guinness World Record for the deepest diving turtle (1,280 meters), previously set by another leatherback turtle. For comparison, U.S. Navy submarines can dive to depths of 900 meters, while the deepest human dive with scuba gear is 332 meters.
Leatherback turtle tagged heading out to sea after nesting in the Solomon Islands. (Photo: Justine E. Hausheer).
Scientists recorded data in a satellite tracking study aimed at protecting the leatherback species. One of the tagged turtles 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 journey as “truly remarkable.” “Leatherbacks are a special creature in the world,”
Waldie commented. “Their ability to swim tirelessly across the Pacific and dive deeper than a naval submarine on a single breath is astonishing.”
A spokesperson for the Guinness World Records stated that they are working with experts to verify the new record, typically after scientific publication. “For natural and scientific records like this, we will wait until the discovery is peer-reviewed and published in a journal before considering it,” the spokesperson said.
Leatherbacks have evolved several adaptations to dive deeply. Although they breathe like humans, leatherbacks can hold their breath much longer, remaining underwater for about 90 minutes at a time. Their specialized shells also compress and expand with changes in pressure, allowing them to survive the extreme pressures of the deep sea. Scientists have proposed several hypotheses for why leatherbacks dive so deep, but tracking studies indicate they dive to feed on jellyfish, which move up and down in the water column.
Leatherbacks spend most of their time at sea, but females come ashore briefly to lay eggs. They nest in the Solomon Islands, which are home to a critically endangered population of the Western Pacific leatherback, estimated to include around 1,400 mature breeding individuals, according to The Nature Conservancy.
Since 2022, Waldie and colleagues have tagged 17 nesting leatherbacks in Isabel Province of the Solomon Islands, where local staff from The Nature Conservancy protect the sea turtles and their eggs from poachers and predators. The record-breaking turtle nested on Sasakolo Beach, and local staff refer to it as “Uke Sasakolo,” meaning “from Sasakolo.” It broke the current deep diving record on March 25, shortly after leaving its nesting site, according to Waldie.
Uke Sasakolo nests during the breeding season in the Solomon Islands, which runs from November to January. Tagged turtles typically migrate to the waters off southern Australia and New Zealand afterward. However, one turtle that arrived in June swam eastward. This turtle, named “Aunty June,” swam across the Pacific and reached feeding grounds off Baja California, Mexico. Waldie hopes further research will help confirm whether mid-year nesting turtles like Aunty June typically swim on an eastward migration route.
