What is the largest species of sea turtle alive today?

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living species of sea turtle, with exceptional individuals weighing more than 900 kilograms.

Unlike other living sea turtles, the leatherback does not have a hard bony shell covered by scutes. Its back is protected by a flexible, leathery carapace with seven prominent ridges. This design helps the turtle dive deeply and travel efficiently through open ocean.

Leatherbacks specialize in eating soft-bodied animals, especially jellyfish. Their mouths and throats have backward-pointing spines that help keep slippery prey from escaping. Because jellyfish are mostly water, a leatherback must consume large quantities to meet its energy needs.

The species nests on tropical and subtropical beaches but migrates into colder waters. It can maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding water through large size and specialized circulation, an ability sometimes called gigantothermy.