Locals help rescue injured loggerhead turtle

A 252-pound loggerhead turtle is receiving care after it was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and marine rescue groups from Lewes and Cape May, N.J., June 12.

The turtle was spotted about 3 miles east of Cape Henlopen by the crew of the 154-foot Lawrence Lawson, a fast response cutter based out of Cape May, N.J. The crew kept an eye on the sea turtle and noticed it was covered in marine growth and was having trouble diving, a Coast Guard press release said.

The crew contacted Lewes-based Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute and arranged to pick them up in a deployable boat, while Coast Guard Station Cape May brought members of the Sea Turtle Recovery to the ship.

“Members of MERR and Sea Turtle Recovery knew right away that the turtle was sick because it was floating,” said Petty Officer First-Class Christopher Taylor. “ They told us that if turtles can’t dive, they can’t eat, and if we hadn’t helped it, it would have slowly starved to death.”

The crew of the Lawson worked in conjunction with the cutter’s small boat crew to use a cargo net to scoop up the turtle. Given the opportunity to name the female turtle, crew members called her “Tammie,” after the historic Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa.

Once secured in the net, the Tammie was moved and lifted into the stern notch, where MERR and Sea Turtle Rescue provided it aid, care and assessed her condition.

“It was a unique experience and took a lot of coordination and teamwork between the Lawson crew, MERR and Sea Turtle Recovery to rescue the turtle and ensure it received the best possible treatment before being returned to its natural habitat,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Rizzo, commanding officer of the Lawrence Lawson. “It’s a great feeling for the crew to know that we had a part in saving an animal in jeopardy of becoming endangered.“ 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with correct information from the Coast Guard’s press release.