The MAER team works to free an entangled sea turtle in Cape Cod Bay. Image courtesy of the Center for Coastal Studies.
WELLFLEET – The Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team (MAER) at the Center for Coastal Studies recently answered the call of Good Samaritan boaters to rescue an entangled leatherback sea turtle in the waters off Wellfleet.
The leatherback, estimated to weigh around 400 pounds, was spotted dragging a buoy line that had wrapped around its front left flipper.
The team used a grappling hook to bring the beleaguered sea turtle close to the vessel and disentangle it, observing numerous injuries that likely resulted from weeks of entanglement.
“Without the help and patience of the boaters who reported the case to us, this turtle would have been lost,” said Bob Lynch of the MAER team.
The turtle was eventually released and swam away under its own power.
Classified as an endangered species, leatherbacks are vulnerable to entanglement as they forage in regional waters during the summer months.
Mariners who encounter an entangled sea turtle or whale are urged to call the Center for Coastal Studies hotline at (1-800-900-3622) or the US Coast Guard on VHF channel 16.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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