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The largest living turtle, with a ridged rubbery dark shell instead of hard plates and a body built for deep diving on a diet of jellyfish. It is a rare ocean-going visitor to Egyptian waters, occasionally recorded in the Red Sea and Mediterranean.
This is a protected or non-target species — please don't fish for it. If it's accidentally hooked, release it quickly and unharmed.
Eating & safety
Observe only; mistaking floating plastic for jellyfish is a major threat, so never discard bags at sea.
Best conditions: Open offshore water, usually a chance encounter while travelling
Leatherbacks can dive over 1000 metres deep and keep their bodies warmer than the surrounding water, unlike any other reptile.