Scientific Name: Dermochelys coriacea

Physical Characteristics: The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living turtle weighing between 441-1,543 lbs (200-700 kg), with an average curved carapace length of 61 in (155 cm). The leatherback sea turtle gets its name because its carapace is made of a leather-like connective tissue that is unlike any other hard-shelled marine turtle.

Food Habits: Jellyfish.

Range: Found worldwide in tropical and temperate waters.

Population: 20,000-30,000 females worldwide.

Conservation Notes: The leatherback sea turtle was list as an endangered in 1970. In the North Pacific, leatherback sea turtles are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear, boat strikes, and plastic ingestion. Turtles often mistake plastic bags and balloons as food!

References:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.html