Thank You Governor Brown for Signing California's Leatherback Bill!

Dear Governor Jerry Brown,

As California residents who care deeply about the health of our oceans and the conservation of marine wildlife, we are writing to thank you for signing AB 1776 and designating the Pacific leatherback sea turtle as the official marine reptile of California.

Similar to the gray whale that is recognized as California’s marine mammal, the Pacific leatherback is a native marine species that relies on our coast for feeding and migration.

The Pacific leatherback sea turtle is the fastest swimming, deepest diving and largest of all sea turtles. It grows up to nine feet long and weighs up to 2,000 pounds. The California coast is one of the most important feeding areas in the entire world for Pacific leatherback sea turtles, which swim 6,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean from nesting beaches in Indonesia to feed on jellyfish here.

Establishing the Pacific leatherback as the state’s marine reptile will help educate Californians and bring awareness to the conservation efforts needed to protect these remarkable creatures. Attaining the marine reptile designation for the Pacific leatherback in California is part of a coordinated worldwide conservation effort to protect this ancient marine species and prevent its slide toward extinction.

Thank you for signing AB 1776 and enhancing California's legacy of ocean protection!

Thank you so much for your consideration.