700-pound turtle freed in Cape Cod Bay
700-pound turtle freed in Cape Cod Bay
Byline:
By Eric Williams
Byline:
By Eric Williams
A 700-pound leatherback turtle entangled in fishing gear was freed yesterday afternoon in Cape Cod Bay about a mile and a half from the channel that leads to Barnstable Harbor. Staff from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies disentangled the 5 ½-foot turtle, tagged it and released it back into the bay shortly before 2 p.m., said Brian Sharp of the Coastal Studies Center. The turtle, which did not appear to be injured, swam off, he said.
The leatherback is the largest turtle and the largest living reptile in the world, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service Web site. Mature turtles grow to 6 ½ feet and weigh almost 2,000 pounds, according to the Web site. At this time of time of year leatherbacks are in area waters likely eating jellyfish, Sharp said.
Anyone who encounters an entangled or injured leatherback should call the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies at 1-800-900-3622
- Posted on August 4, 2009
Animals
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I do not think this is such a big deal. I used to live Cape Cod and used to see huge turtles all the time. I mean of coarse 700 pounds is huge but still it is not a freak of nature. I have personally seen 600 pound turtles and was amazed. You cant just look and think nothing of it. It is surly going to catch your attention
This turtle is 700 pounds. What is it eating? It was found in Cape Cod Bay. This leatherback turtle is 700 pound and 5 ½-feet long.
this is so cool that they found a 5 1/2 foot turtle in the water. i was just there yesterday by the same place they caught it.
I think it is amazing that the turtle was freed. But i think it shouldn't have been caught in the first place. Fishing gear is endangering sea animals that's species should still be going strong. The turtle, a sea animal is a very important part of the ecosystem. As well as many other animals, which is why i think we need to be more careful with our fishing gear
WOW I never know that a turtle could weigh that much. He weighs mores then 3 average size humans put together. My favorite things are overweight animals and monkeys. If these turtle weigh anymore pounds it would be very fat animal maybe the fattest. I have a question how do you weigh this turtle with out it breaking the scale. Well this is a huge turtle it is the biggest out of it family.
It is so sad to hear that a turtle, a 700 pound leatherback was caught in fishing gear. Even though this turtle was saved, there still might be more turtles that could get hurt in Cape Cod. It's amazing that a turtle can grow that big. I hope no more turtles will get hurt because that is a sad thing to happen to them.
I never knew that turtles could get this big. This one was 5 and a half feet long and 700 pounds. I could'nt even imagine that huge turtle getting stuck in that fishing net.
That is a big turtle i wonder how they found it did one of the campers find it our what. Where did they let it go at?
First thing I think that is awesome that the freed a turtle that weighed 700lb. Why I think this is cool because that would be bad if a turtle that size would die from getting trapped. Another thing that I never new that a turtle can weigh almost 2000lb and 61/2 ft.
I didn't know that was a turtle!! Also, I never knew that a turtle could weight 700 pounds. That turtle looks so scary because I'm not sure if that's it mouth.