Dead endangered sea turtle washes ashore in Delware

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - Officials say a dead leatherback sea turtle has washed ashore in Delaware.

The Daily Times reports the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute says the roughly 5-foot-long (2-meter-long) estimated sub-adult turtle was discovered in Rehoboth Beach on Monday.

MERR executive director Suzanne Thurman says that it appears the turtle could’ve been hit by a large ship’s propeller but they cannot tell if a gash on the animal came postmortem or not. She says that leatherback sea turtles are an endangered species.

Thurman says leatherbacks are one of four species that swim in waters near Delaware, and MERR responds to between 40 and 55 reports of sea turtles washing up onshore each season.

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Information from: The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md., https://www.delmarvanow.com/