(FOX 25 /
MyFoxBoston.com) - The busy summer boating season is leading to trouble for
migrating turtles.
Marine officials are urging boaters to keep an eye out for these leatherback
sea turtles, especially around Buzzards Bay,
Vineyard Sound, and Nantucket Sound.
The turtles, which can grow up to seven feet and 2,000 pounds, have been
getting tangled in buoy lines recently, and the species is endangered.
Leatherback sea turtles come to local coastal waters to feed on jellyfish
through October.
If you see one, you're
urged to call the state's entanglement hotline.
As good as your intentions might be, you should not try to disentangle one of
the turtles yourself. You risk serious
injury to yourself or the animal
Plus, since the turtle is a protected species, it is illegal.
It is estimated
that there are only between 26,000 and 43,000 left in the entire world.
