Massive Turtle Washes Up On Connecticut Shoreline

WESTBROOK, CT — A massive Leatherback turtle recently washed up on the shoreline in Westbrook and proved to be quite a sight for residents. The turtle was discovered by residents after it had washed ashore in front of their house and, sadly, it had been long dead, according to FOX61.

Leatherback turtles are an endangered species that nests mainly along the Florida coast, but nesting has been documented as far north as North Carolina, according to the Connecticut DEEP. In Connecticut, Leatherback turtles may occur in concentrated numbers in the Northeast and are frequently seen off Stonington and in Block Island Sound during the summer months, according to the DEEP.

Leatherback turtle populations have historically declined due to “overharvesting for food, fish bait and turtle products,” according to the DEEP website. “They are also limited by deaths from oil spills, entanglements in lobster pots, beach traffic, predation and nest flooding. Boat propellers, which often inflict serious wounds to sea turtles, have been responsible for many turtle deaths.”

The life expectancy of a Leatherback turtle is estimated to be 50 years or more, according to the DEEP.

Read more at FOX61 here and the CT DEEP website here.

Pictured in main image: Sea turtle close up over coral reef in Hawaii (not actual Leatherback turtle discovered in Connecticut) / Image via Shutterstock