Leatherback turtle washes up on Rehoboth Beach
Story Location:
Wilmington Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, DE
United States
A dead leatherback sea turtle washed up on Rehoboth Beach the morning of July 10.
The turtle was first reported around Laurel Street, but northerly longshore currents have carried it closer to Wilmington Avenue, where rescuers with the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute worked with Rehoboth Beach Patrol lifeguards to recover the turtle. The area was blocked off to beachgoers, and people are advised to avoid coming into contact with the turtle - or any other dead or distressed marine life.
MERR Executive Director Suzanne Thurman said initial reports show the turtle may be a young adult, about five feet long. At maximum size, endangered leatherback turtles can reach seven feet and weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
“It has obviously been hit by a boat propeller, but we don't know if that's post-mortem or potentially the cause of death,” Thurman said. “We won't be able to tell that just from looking at it.”
Thurman said the animal is in a decomposed state, and it is unlikely that a full necropsy will be performed. She said boat propeller injuries are the primary cause of death in sea turtles along the Delaware coast.
“These are endangered species so it's always a tragedy when one of them dies,” she said.
Anyone who spots a dead or distressed marine animal is urged to contact the lifeguards on duty, or call MERR’s 24-hour hotline at 302-228-5029. For more about MERR, go to merrinstitute.org.
