A huge leatherback sea turtle emerges from the water and onto a sandy beach in adorable video footage. Even though the gorgeous beast just stopped by for a brief break, it was enough to make everyone gasp.
The location of the video is unknown, but the two minute long footage shows the world’s largest turtle taking a rest on the sand, before disappearing back into the ocean. The moment was filmed by one of the beachgoers that witnessed the incredibly rare sighting.
Known as the largest turtles in the world, the leatherback turtles are usually solitary creatures that spend most of their time swimming across the ocean. They only came onshore when they lay their eggs and extremely rarely to rest – just as it happened in this case.
The marine experts from Oceana stated that leatherback turtles “spend virtually all of their time in the water with females only coming to land to lay eggs.” Males are consequently harder to observe than females since they never leave the sea after hatching and getting into the waves.
The leatherback turtles may weigh up to 2,000 pounds, but they can travel thousands of kilometers in a lifetime. These enormous turtles, unlike most other species, have a weak shell that resembles a leathery skin, according to their name.
“Leatherback turtles are known to travel incredibly long distances during their lifetimes,” website Oceana reads. “Throughout its lifetime, a leatherback turtle may cross the ocean several times, traveling to and from preferred feeding or nesting sites.”
You can watch the moment this giant turtle emerges from the sea, in the video below!
0 Comments