A green sea turtle was found and rescued with a 3-foot-long spear stuck in its neck, according to o nonprofit Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida.
The sub-adult turtle, which weighed 150-pounds and is named Splinter, was taken into surgery so the spear could be removed. Bette Zirkelbach, Turtle Hospital manager, told CNN affiliate WPEC that X-rays revealed that the large stick traversed more than half of the innocent turtle’s body. The hospital said that a day after Splinter was rescued, he was “active and looking good in water.”1
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All species of sea turtles are threatened or endangered and are protected under the United States Endangered Species Act of 1973 and Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act. The World Wildlife Fund says:
“Human activities have tipped the scales against the survival of these ancient mariners. Slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin and shells, sea turtles suffer from poaching and over-exploitation. They also face habitat destruction and accidental capture in fishing gear.”1
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Earlier this month woman in Satellite Beach, Florida reported finding sea turtle eggs and hatchlings that had been set on fire, according to CNN affiliate WKMG. An investigation is currently underway, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told WPEC it is asking for tips. The woman told the station:
“There was firewood next to all the turtles.”1
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In Miami Beach, a woman was arrested in June after witnesses saw her stomping on a sea turtle nest, according to police.
That same month, a dead sea turtle was found in a Florida national park with a spear shaft through its head. According to its Facebook page, the Biscayne National Park asked the public for any information about the turtle.
It is difficult to comprehend how anyone would want to harm these majestic creatures.
