Huge Endangered Turtle Washes Up Strangled On North Fork Beach

GREENPORT, NY — An endangered turtle was found washed up dead on a beach in Peconic Friday — strangled by a buoy.

According to Karen Testa, director of the Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons in Jamesport, the organization was the first to be called to the scene at Goldsmith Inlet; she later dispatched the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to respond, as well.

Testa said she had to identify the turtle, which was an adult male leatherback sea turtle, approximately 550 to 1500 lbs. and categorized as endangered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

When she found the turtle, Testa witnessed a heartbreaking end to the turtle's long life.

"It was strangled to death, with a buoy wrapped around its neck," she said. "While we were all having Thanksgiving dinner with our families, enjoying one another and laughing, this turtle, who was between 50 and 80 years old, was struggling for its life — because some idiot left a buoy floating in the water. Its arms were caught and the buoy was wrapped around."

Patch photos courtesy Karen Testa.