 acrylic on panel 20" x 16" $5,400. |
The critically endangered Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest modern turtle, attaining a length of seven feet, and a weight of three-quarters of a ton, but it begins life as a hatchling just over two inches long. Ranging pretty much throughout the world's oceans, nesting beaches of this turtle are restricted to the tropics, with a few beaches in the subtropics. It's estimated that 26,000 to 43,000 females nest each year, down from an estimated 115,000 in 1980. The main threat is from intentional human predation, as well as by-catch in fishing nets and oceanic pollution. |