655-Pound Sea Turtle Released After Being Rescued
Officials with the New England Aquarium in Boston revealed that it recently released a 7-foot-long, 655-pound leatherback sea turtle after the turtle was discovered stranded on a beach in Cape Cod. Veterinarians noticed that the turtle was suffering from a host of ailments, including dehydration and shock.
The turtle was found stranded on a beach near the end of the cape and officials at the aquarium stated that the turtle was well under the normal weight of 1,000 pounds and was also missing a large portion of its front left flipper.
Veterinarians treated it, and aquarium officials stated that after the turtle regained its strength, they released it off Harwichport on Saturday.
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Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse revealed that when the turtle arrived to the aquarium it was "near death," according to reports from ABC.
LaCasse also stated that the left front flipper had been partially severed, which could have been the result of an encounter with a predator or a propeller from a boat. The encounter could have caused the turtle to have trouble finding food, resulting in the turtle's small size.
Aquarium officials also highlighted the possibility that fishing lines could have entangled the turtle, resulting in the loss of a portion of the left front flipper. LaCasse also revealed that almost 20 leatherback turtles have died because of such fishing lines already this year.
Leatherback sea turtles are currently considered an endangered species and are the largest reptiles in the world. Leatherbacks annually migrate north along the East Coast starting in the spring to feed on jellyfish, which are found in large colonies along the East Coast and settle in the waters off Massachusetts. The turtles will then head south for warmer waters staring in September and October, according to the New England Aquarium.
