Leatherback sea turtle saved from tangled fishing gear

BARNSTABLE, Mass. (WLNE) — Several members of the New England Aquarium collaborated to save a leatherback sea turtle that had become entangled in fishing gear last Thursday in Cape Cod Bay.

This includes workers from the Cabot Center for Ocean Life, the Animal Health team and the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation team.

“The turtle had a rope entanglement around the shoulder region of its right front flipper, but fortunately it was detected quickly and the gear was still loose with minimal damage to the flipper,” said Dr. Melissa Joblon, the Aquarium’s Director of Animal Health.

“Overall, the turtle appeared healthy, active, and in great body condition, so we suspect it will do very well after release.”

After being freed from the fishing gear, the 6-foot, 400 pound turtle was given a health assessment including bloodwork, and was tagged with a satellite and acoustic tags for monitoring.

The turtle, nicknamed “Phinney,” will now be followed and monitored by the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Tracker for up to ten years.