Two entangled leatherback sea turtles rescued

Two leatherback sea turtles entangled in fishing gear were rescued yesterday in Cape waters.

The turtles weighed between 700 and 800 pounds, said Brian Sharp with the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, which runs the Massachusetts Sea Turtle Disentanglement Network.

Both of the entanglements were reported by recreational fishermen, he said.

The first turtle was spotted around 11 a.m. in Truro's Pamet Harbor, he said. The second was seen in the Wychmere Harbor area around 2 p.m., said Harwich Harbor Master Tom Leach.

An assistant harbor master helped with the Harwich rescue, he said.

Crews from the International Fund for Animal Welfare marine mammal rescue program responded to the Harwich rescue, as the Provincetown rescuers were in Truro, Sharp said. Both turtles were able to swim away after the fishing gear was removed.

Source: Cape Cod Times

Copyright © Cape Cod Media Group, a division of Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.