by Dave Wiwchar
Ha-Shilth-Sa Southern Region Reporter
May 8, 2003
The Vancouver Aquarium is seeking to learn more about the sea turtles that visit BC's west coast. These gentle giants come to visit our coast for the jellyfish, which is their favorite (and only) food.
The world-renowned Vancouver Aquarium is interested in hearing from you if you've seen any of these creatures during your travels.
All sea turtles are considered endangered, and leatherbacks have recently been awarded status as "critically endangered". It is generally believed that unless drastic measures are put in place to salvage what remains of the Pacific leatherback population, they could be extinct within our lifetime.
Leatherbacks are the largest of all the sea turtles, measuring up to 6 feet long and 4 feet wide, and weighing in at an average of 880 lbs. (The largest leatherback captured weighed in at an amazing 2015 lbs.)
The Western Pacific Leatherback turtle nests in areas such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the South Pacific Islands and travels as far as the west coast of BC and Alaska to forage for food. The leatherebacks eat their weight in jellyfish every day, and have special spikes in their throats that keep their slippery snacks down.
Leatherbacks are also the best swimmers of any turtles, and can travel up to 12,000 km and dive to 1200 metres down. They're such good swimmers that they don't even use ocean currents to swim across the oceans, as they're powerful enough to swim incredible distances even while going against the current.
Leatherbacks are long-lived animals that do not mature quickly. The average lifespan of a leatherback is unknown, but is approximated at 60 - 80 years. When a population is decimated, it is difficult to recover to substantial numbers. There are currently an estimated 30,000 leatherbacks left in the world, down drastically from the estimated 115,000 in 1980. The reason for their drastic decline is purely man-made.
The main cause of leatherback demise is poaching in the nesting areas - where turtle eggs are sold illegally to foreign markets. Other contributing causes are the development of hotels on beaches where turtles go to nest, and the incidental capture of turtles in commercial fishing nets.
There have been some measures set in place to alleviate the problems of bycatch through the use of Turtle Exclusion Devices. In BC waters, one of the biggest potential threats is plastic and other garbage. Leatherbacks mistake the plastic for food (jellies) and can be seriously injured or die as a result of swallowing it.
"Because sea turtles are infrequent visitors and they can only be spotted from a close distance, there is currently little information on their numbers, seasonal occurrence, or abundance here in our waters," said Carla Sbrocchi, Conservation Outreach Programmer at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. "Sea turtles have been sighted from Victoria all the way up to the Queen Charlottes along the west coast. The sightings are slightly more concentrated in the Broken Islands to Brooks Peninsula area. So far, we have over 60 rreported sightings since 1931 - but we know that there are many other sightings out there, waiting to be reported", she said. "We welcome any new reports, from the past or present. The sightings information we gather will be used directly for research into the biology and conservation of sea turtles right here in BC."
For further information, please contact Carla Sbrocchi, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Ph: 604 659-3414, Fax: 604 659-3502.
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