Massive 588-pound turtle returned to the sea after getting stranded

By Fiona Jackson via SWNS

This is the moment a 588 lb turtle was returned to the sea after getting stranded by a river.

Rescuers were called out to help the five-foot-long leatherback turtle when he became stuck on a mudflat by the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts last Sunday (10/10).

Volunteers from Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary responded to the call and contacted the New England Aquarium and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for help.

The teams had to work quickly to stop the humongous reptile, which weighed the same as four average men, from being swept further adrift by the incoming tide.

Bob Prescott, director emeritus for Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, said: "We wanted to keep it off the oysters and keep it from stranding somewhere we couldn’t rescue it.

"If it got away, there was no telling where it would strand next."

The adult male turtle was transferred to Herring Cove in Provincetown where rescue and animal health staff from the Aquarium conducted a health assessment.

This was done using a heavy-duty cart and stretcher designed for the transportation of whales and dolphins.

Kira Kasper, a biologist for the Marine Mammal Rescue & Research program at IFAW, said: “Our agencies work side-by-side on these shores, rescuing and protecting local species, so we jumped at the chance to help with responders, equipment and transportation.

“To safely move a stranded turtle this large, our specially designed heavy-duty transport cart, stretchers and mats were ideal—originally designed by IFAW for moving dolphins and other small whales.”

After his blood was analyzed and found to be healthy, the turtle was given vitamin injections, an anti-inflammatory, a microchip, identification band and both acoustic and satellite tags.

He was then released, to the cheers of a huge crowd.

New England Aquarium is tracking the turtle with a satellite 'pop-up' tag that will determine if it survives over the next 30 days.

The acoustic tag will monitor the turtle’s migration patterns over the next five to 10 years.

Dr. Kara Dodge, research scientist at the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, said: “When working with stranded sea turtles in New England, it’s a rarity to have a turtle that is in such good condition.

"We suspect this leatherback got disoriented in the tidal flats of Wellfleet and we feel optimistic that it will survive, thanks to the collective rescue efforts of this fantastic group of colleagues."

Leatherback turtles are among the most highly migratory animals on the planet and can travel over 10,000 miles a year, meaning they're susceptible to threats like boats and fishing nets.