Leatherback turtles are extraordinary travellers. They swim thousands of kilometres across the ocean — all the way from cold waters near Canada or Europe — to reach the warm sandy beaches of Trinidad, where they were born. They find their way back using Earth's magnetic field, like a living compass.
At Matura Beach, volunteer rangers and guided tour groups watch respectfully from a distance as the turtles come ashore on dark nights. The turtles are very large and very gentle. After laying around 80 eggs in the sand, the mother carefully covers the nest and returns to the sea.
Leatherbacks eat mainly jellyfish. Their mouths are lined with backward-pointing spines that stop slippery jellyfish from escaping. A full-grown leatherback can dive deeper than 1,000 metres — deeper than most submarines — to find its favourite food.
Trinidad is one of the most important nesting sites for leatherback turtles in the entire world. Community groups and conservation rangers work hard to keep the beaches safe for the turtles, making sure they can nest without being disturbed.