Leatherback Turtle and Sea Nettle - Fine Art Print (Low Stock)

This is one of my favourite watercolours I’ve ever done. When I used to volunteer at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center in Santa Cruz, back in 2013, the local natural history museum donated to us a life-sized cast of a leatherback turtle. I was able to view it close up, nose-to-beak, as it rested on a table in our staff room, and was able to draw it from that angle. The unusual perspective this offered me a unique opportunity to create a dynamic composition like this one. If you go there these days, it is mounted high on the wall in the stairwell as part of a beautiful oceanic mural.

Here the leatherback is in pursuit of a Chrysaora sea nettle. There is a population of leatherbacks that lay their eggs on the warm beaches of Indonesia. These migrate thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean to the waters of Monterey Bay, where cold upwelling currents bring nutrient rich waters up from the depths to nurture plankton blooms, which in turn feed the whole food web, including these jellyfish, the turtles’ preferred food. Their populations are endangered due to plastics in the ocean and climate change.

I could talk your ear off about leatherback turtles, but suffice to say, I love them, and hope to create an awareness of them through my artwork.

The original watercolour painting sold in 2020, but this high quality archival print is an excellent reproduction. The print fits an 8x10 mat opening. It ships in a (recyclable!) plastic sleeve with a backing board. Shipping & handling included.