Looking for Leatherbacks: A Turtle Sighting!

The Upwell and NOAA Fisheries team is conducting aerial surveys for leatherback sea turtles off the Oregon and Washington Coasts! In this video, you can take a tour of the Sheila B. research vessel and see the team react to a turtle sighting.

The data from these surveys can be put into action to protect the critically endangered West Pacific leatherback population. Over the next few months, our collaborative team will try to spot leatherbacks from the sky and, if possible, the vessel-based team will conduct health assessments and deploy satellite tags. We are excited to share our work with you, and hope you follow along as we go looking for leatherbacks!

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management provides support for our leatherback monitoring in the Pacific Northwest and portions of California. We also receive funding from the Ocean Protection Council for leatherback monitoring in California. Upwell gratefully acknowledges additional support from private donors including the Schwemm Family Foundation who we rely on for this project and all of our sea turtle conservation work. Thank you!

Special thanks to San Jose State University, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and Captain John Douglas for use of the specialized leatherback Research Vessel Sheila B.