- Who
- Leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea
- What
- 1280 metre(s)
- Where
- Cape Verde ()
- When
On 16 December 2006, a satellite-tagged leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) was recorded diving to a depth of 1,280 metres (4,199 feet), south-west of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean. This is not just a record depth among turtles but among all reptiles. The findings were published in Endangered Species Research on 18 January 2008.
The previous record, also set by a leatherback turtle, was a dive of 1,200 m (3,937 ft), logged by Dr Scott Eckert off the Virgin Islands in May 1987.
