Leatherback Sea Turtle In Djibouti!

Our Djibouti Whale Shark Project has just published a paper that documents─ for the first time─the presence of a leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, in Djibouti waters.

The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed marine turtle species and is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This leatherback was spotted in the Gulf of Goubest (the far western region of the Gulf of Aden). Our observation suggests that the Gulf of Aden may be more important habitat for this species than previously recognized but it is not yet known if Djibouti is a permanent foraging site or simply a transit area for leatherback turtles.

Boldrocchi G, Schmidt JV, Robinson DP. (2021) First documented record of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) from Djibouti waters. Mar Biodivers Rec 14, 3. doi.org/10.1186/s41200-021-00200-0