The Coast Guard saved this endangered sea turtle off the coast of Maine
The Coast Guard responded Sunday to a rescue call for a sea turtle that had become tangled in fishing gear while swimming off the coast of Maine.
After receiving the call, the Coast Guard located the turtle about 15 miles south of Cape Elizabeth, according to a press release from the Coast Guard. Rescuers identified the 6-foot turtle as a Leatherback, which is the largest type of sea turtle and also an endangered species under protection.
“The crew attempted to gain control of the Leatherback, which proved to be no easy task as the frightened turtle frantically fought back, flipping through the water,’’ Ensign Robert Chamberlain, a member of the crew that rescued the turtle, said in the release.
Holding the line wrapped around the turtle’s flipper, crewmembers pulled the turtle alongside the boat slowly while cutting the line. Once the line was severed, the turtle was able to swim into the open water.
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