In Cape Cod Bay, a huge leatherback sea turtle was saved by rescue teams after being found entangled in fishing gear.
According to Boston.com, the leatherback turtle was 6-foot-long, and weighed roughly 400 pounds. Luckily, rescuers arrived quickly, and the leatherback was saved before being harmed. The rescue team was made up of the Barnstable harbormaster, staff members from the New England Aquarium, and folks from the Center for Coastal Studies. Notably, the aquarium's Director of Animal Health Melissa Joblon, reported the turtle "appeared healthy, active, and in great body condition." Expectations were for the animal to do well after release from the net.
The turtle was nicknamed "Phinney" by the scientists on the rescue team. "Phinney" can now be tracked online, after satellite and acoustic tags were attached to the reptile during the release. Bloodwork was also drawn during the save.
Massive Turtle Saved From Net in Cape Cod
Interestingly, leatherbacks are the largest sea turtle species. They are highly migratory in nature, with some having been known to travel 10,000 miles in a year, between their nesting and foraging regions. According to the aquarium, the global population of leatherbacks has fallen 40% over the last three generations.
Emphasis has been placed upon fishing gear, and the risks that it poses to leatherbacks. Kara Dodge, a scientist at the aquarium, has studied leatherbacks since 2007. Dodge has stated that it is critical to understand the outcomes of turtles after being entangled. Dodge mentioned that the satellite and acoustic tags will play a pivotal role in learning how the creatures respond after being rescued from a fishing gear entanglement.
While leatherbacks are the largest turtles swimming throughout Cape Cod Bay, hundreds of smaller turtles are saved in the bay by researchers each year. Saved turtles are rehabilitated in Quincy after they are saved, at a "sea turtle hospital." Once rehabbed, the saved critters are released back into the ocean.
In the midst of a multi-generational population decline, each leatherback sea turtle is important to Cape Cod Bay. Luckily for "Phinney," a group of rescuers was quick to respond in a moment of a trouble.
