What is the world's largest turtle?

Indy_B

The leatherback turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest reptile behind three crocodilians. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_Sea_Turtle Mar 08 09, 2:39 AM

zbeckabee

A sailor cruising off the Pembrokeshire coast had an unusual encounter with the world's biggest sea turtle. Jeff Tierney, from Pontypridd, filmed the leatherback as he sailed back to Wales from Ireland on Sunday. The turtle is the largest species of its kind and can grow up to nine feet (2.74m) long. The world's biggest and oldest specimen was washed up on a Welsh beach in 1988. It had drowned after being trapped in fishing lines. Mr Tierney told the BBC's Wales Today programme: "It let us come right up next to it. We were literally within two yards of it. We turned the engine off, got a tape out and started videoing. "He seemed to be quite happy there bobbing up and down with us right next to him. It was absolutely fantastic." The world's biggest recorded leatherback turtle was washed ashore on Harlech beach, Gwynedd, in September 1988 attracted worldwide attention. At 100 years old, it was the oldest recorded turtle. It measured almost nine feet (2.74m) in length and weighed 914kg (2,015lb). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4263784.stm Mar 08 09, 10:30 PM