# Leatherback turtle



## swampie (Jun 1, 2013)

Hey guys,

Went out fishing today in Moreton Bay and came across this old dinosaur. I didn't know what it was at first as it was so big, thought it was a juvie whale that had lost it's way then after seeing it take a breath a few times I could see it was a leatherback. From info I have found the largest one ever recorded was 3 metres total length, this guy was easy that and probably a bit more. I see allot of dugong's while out on the water and they are around 2.5-3 metres in length and quite beefy and this thing made a dugong look tiny. 

Didn't end up doing any fishing I just followed this guy around with my electric motor for 3 or more hours watching him/her suck down jelly fish by the dozen, it was truly a magnificent animal.

Cheers,

Al


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## jase75 (Jun 1, 2013)

That is awesome, great pics, would love to see that. Where about in Moreton Bay ?

Sent from my XT925 using Tapatalk 2


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## swampie (Jun 1, 2013)

Out from Redcliffe Peninsula.


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## creaturesofhabit (Jun 1, 2013)

That would have been awesome to see Alan , right place at the right time mate. I still get blown away every time a dolphin pops up next to me while out surfing.
Andy


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## swampie (Jun 1, 2013)

Yeah it was amazing Andy, I have seen them out there before but they were normal size, this thing was just massive.


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## andynic07 (Jun 1, 2013)

I like watching the sea life in the straight between Stradbroke and Moreton, I can watch for hours.


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## eipper (Jun 1, 2013)

Make sure you send these images to Queensland museum and parks and wildlife. These are quite uncommon sadly and this data is important! Very jealous I would love to have seen a Luth!

cheers
Scott


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## swampie (Jun 1, 2013)

Scott, do you have the contact details ?? I was thinking of contacting someone about it due to it's size and rarity. I would expect it to be hanging around for a little while as it's food source is plentiful at the moment.


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## jedi_339 (Jun 1, 2013)

Amazing pictures mate, I see what you mean about the jelly fish being by the dozen, there are heaps in some of those photos!!

hope you get to see it again when you're out next.


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## Wiganov (Jun 1, 2013)

This has to be an early contender for post of the year. Just magnificent.


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## ArcticMonkey (Jun 2, 2013)

Hope he didn't suck down too many plastic bags.

I wonder how old that animal is. What a find!


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## eipper (Jun 2, 2013)

I do shoot me an email ([email protected]) and I will send you the direct email addresses/contacts if you like..... Again very jealous and great find!


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## swampie (Jun 2, 2013)

Thanks Scott, email sent.


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## Bushman (Jun 2, 2013)

Great find Al! 8) Thanks for sharing.


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## swampie (Jun 2, 2013)

While I was out there I had a mate fishing a couple of K's away and I gave him a call and said "mate you have to come and see this huge leather back", he replied to me in a tone that suggested he thought I was exagerating, anyway after I insisted he come over and see it he reluctantly left his fishing spot and made his way over, he got to within a hundred metres or so and the beast surfaced next to my boat and all I hear was ~"holy cow, you weren't kidding" 

My friend took some pics and emailed them to me and you can sort of guage it's size a bit better against my boat (tinny in top of pic) which is 4.5 metres long.

Cheers,
Al


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## junglepython2 (Jun 2, 2013)

Sensational! Thanks for sharing.


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## ronhalling (Jun 2, 2013)

Wow, what a surviver, very very unusual to see a leathery of that size in close like that, unfortunately these guys are a favorite food for Tiger Sharks, usually when you do see a decent size 1 it has all the trademark damage on it's shell and flippers from close encounters with Tigers. Fabulous pics BTW, what a lovely old soldier  ....................Ron


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## SteveNT (Jun 2, 2013)

Lucky you! They came back to Cobourg Peninsular a few years ago after an absence of several decades. The countryman who spotted the first one reported it as " a turtle same like a Toyota!"


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## NicG (Jun 2, 2013)

Awesome! Could not be more envious!


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## Bananapeel (Jun 2, 2013)

What an incredible find! Would be a real dream come true to see such a rare, beautiful animal so close! 
Very lucky and great that you or Scott are reporting the find!


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## zoe87 (Jun 2, 2013)

Holy amazing. I was out fishing in Morton bay at the beginning of last month. We saw regular turtles, dugongs and dolphins. Then we kept seeing this odd shaped head with spots. My partner was convinced it was a seal because it had an almost dog shaped head but I was pretty sure seals didn't come this far north. Then I googled it and it turns out that very rarely they do. It was talking really huge breaths, spending a while on the surface and kind of looking around. I've just shown these pictures to him and that's exactly what we saw as well. It's absolutely amazing that we can see these breath taking creatures on out door step.


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## swampie (Jun 2, 2013)

Funny you should mention seals, there was one of those up here in September last year, it was at Scarborough when I came across it and I was lucky enough to have him/her climb up on a rock a couple of metres away from me and my children and we sat there with it for around half an hour or so while it soaked up some rays...


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## saintanger (Jun 2, 2013)

very nice find and great pics. that is one very nice looking leather back.


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## eipper (Jun 2, 2013)

I just gave Swampie the points of contact, all the glory will go rightfully to him. It is an awesome encounter!


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## 12-08-67 (Jun 3, 2013)

I was lucky enough to spend 6wks in Costa Rica collecting information on these when the females would come into lay their eggs and just the some of the female's shell size was 6ft not including head or tail, amazing creatures and just awesome to be around. Wish we had more around.


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## Pythoninfinite (Jun 3, 2013)

Fantastic!!!

J


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## scratchy (Jun 4, 2013)

That us the best find ever! I'd give an arm and a leg to see such a monster! So glad to see they are still arond.


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