Nest of a huge, endangered sea turtle found in Ecuador

Conservationists have found a nest of endangered leatherback sea turtles in Ecuador.

The said kind is a whopper of a species that can weigh up to a tonne and be three meters (10 feet) long.

Also known as the lute turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), it is the world's largest species of sea turtle. The leatherback lives in tropical, subtropical and subarctic waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

The Environment Ministry said the nest was found in Manabi province. The eggs that were in it should hatch in about 60 days.

A protective perimeter has been set up around the nest and a thermometer was installed.

This is the third time a nest of these creatures has been found since 2015 on the coast of Ecuador.

Its status is listed as "vulnerable," and in the eastern Pacific experts say it in danger of disappearing altogether.