Leatherback Turtle's Record Dive Reaches 4,409 Feet, Exceeding Submarine Depths

By Govind Tekale By Govind Tekale

A leatherback turtle breaks the record for the deepest ocean dive by reaching 4,409 feet.

[{"selector":"#anim-6383de08-b262-4153-83ca-38cb8008d144","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.83805%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-342a80c1-d02b-4b2c-bd61-518dbdb66993","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-74f4796b-cdca-47e8-be4d-68b7a9da51b2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(97.91183%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ba0fb31-abe1-4eaa-a133-1da2e7cc21d7","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

Travel below the surface: this amazing dive happened deep below the Pacific, a region not many people have visited.

[{"selector":"#anim-20287bd0-e0d0-48a3-851e-85043bbdb802","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b4eceac8-c524-4058-ab97-d395b67bd376","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 492.86305%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b557fb3-fc09-403d-aa40-289ecce178e1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89c149b6-acf2-4da9-95af-9de2153a619f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -138.51583%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

Introducing Uke Sasakolo, the leatherback turtle who broke through the surface and redefined the limits of underwater research.

[{"selector":"#anim-1655214c-2c16-4d17-a285-de4af3f69322","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7941ad47-a804-4a22-9546-0eb4b506c416","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39595272-cc9f-4c58-af22-dabc963e63b5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1b5acc86-d480-419c-a6a9-da999d987e45","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

Uke, who was tagged in the Solomon Islands, makes remarkable discoveries regarding the talents of leatherbacks on his southerly voyage.

[{"selector":"#anim-9efa1f07-2d42-4036-b326-f46405891a86","keyframes":[{"offset":0,"transform":"translate3d(0, -215.54375%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.29,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.45,"transform":"translate3d(0, -60.610902499999995%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.61,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.71,"transform":"translate3d(0, -20.6059825%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.8,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.85,"transform":"translate3d(0, -7.738020625%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.92,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.96,"transform":"translate3d(0, -3.3624824999999996%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":1,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"}],"delay":0,"duration":600,"fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe455674-2cf3-42f7-b352-1636d75b09b7","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

Not only was Uke's dive deep, but it also represented a notable 210-foot jump above the previous record.

[{"selector":"#anim-b5110031-67a6-4b04-be1b-b01642e38426","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(97.67982%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84e21330-4dcc-4e96-a206-8c32e998ad1c","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-77dbffd5-b432-4244-b93b-a9d8df0c50a1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.83805%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e544143c-d264-40f8-aad5-77b31482a4e4","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

Beyond being documented in history, Uke's dive is significant because it illuminates the strategies these prehistoric seafarers used to survive.

[{"selector":"#anim-1cfe7b29-d13f-43d7-a4dc-efe4cd255efa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eeb9b2ec-5924-4a57-a7c7-ebd288dba58d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -142.32708%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cabdae44-4734-464a-9b54-d7f9f4924c1b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-810751fd-638b-4356-ac72-f2d656b494ca","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 414.24684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

The special capacity of leatherbacks to dive deep is essential to their main diet of jellyfish.

[{"selector":"#anim-664ac6cf-47fd-420d-aba5-98c4742fc6c3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e78ba6b-e77c-4fa2-9e02-977f10737106","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0c62e515-6cc2-4347-8eee-6647f4e1b724","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c092f98f-9291-40e0-bb26-95d950611a1c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

Protected by a carapace, Uke withstood pressures that would crush conventional submarines.

[{"selector":"#anim-d5b37a9b-2a11-4ab2-b973-2a1cd426f87e","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff39f204-2b4d-4d00-8b53-fab044c0c7fb","keyframes":[{"offset":0,"transform":"translate3d(0, -258.55641%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.29,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.45,"transform":"translate3d(0, -72.70606249200002%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.61,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.71,"transform":"translate3d(0, -24.717992796000004%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.8,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.85,"transform":"translate3d(0, -9.282175119000001%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.92,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.96,"transform":"translate3d(0, -4.0334799960000005%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":1,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"}],"delay":0,"duration":600,"fill":"both"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy

This record-breaking event was captured through satellite tracking, offering scientists a new view into the leatherback's life.

[{"selector":"#anim-bd4081e4-ad19-41aa-8a58-e7dd81b03387","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(96.60634%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-42acae9a-ee5f-4009-87f3-84223346164b","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f870c66-4278-4cf7-8e8b-393099f4149d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.95501%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-67e5880a-6b87-4938-8165-42c4dd62d450","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Source: The Nature Conservancy Source: The Nature Conservancy