Bon Voyage Leatherback Turtles, until we meet again next year!

October 14, 2021

Scott Benson, NOAA Fisheries and Lisa Uttal, NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Leatherback turtles are a NOAA Species in the Spotlight and the Pacific population is critically endangered. Join us for a collaborative presentation to celebrate and learn about Pacific Leatherback sea turtles—one of the largest living reptiles in the world. It is during this time that Scott Benson is out on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean researching these enigmatic animals, who will soon leave only to return in June or July next year.

While they have been making this journey for hundreds of thousands of years, very few people will ever see one of these turtles in the wild. Join Scott and Lisa in the same room with a life size, virtual augmented reality Leatherback turtle, as well as other visuals created by Tanzle, Inc, a data management and visualization tech startup. Take a deep dive with us to better understand the turtle's adaptations, lifestyle and its journey to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.