ATLANTIC BEACH, Fl. — A young, endangered Kemp Ridley sea turtle was discovered mutilated in Atlantic Beach this weekend.
According to Jennifer Burns, President of The Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol, a caller indentified the dead turtle on Friday, December 9, during the early evening hours. The beach goer was instructed to photograph the young Kemp and place it in a specified location until the Beaches Patrol Officers could respond and conduct an evaluation for the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
According to Burns, upon the Patrol’s Saturday, 8 a.m. arrival, the turtle was no where to be found. The turtle was eventually found floating upside down in the Atlantic Ocean minus its shell. The mutilation violates both state and federal laws. Burns says she’s puzzled as to why someone would mutiliate what she described as a forbidden object.
“Only people that hold a permit that allows them to keep specimens are allowed to posesses the shells,” she explained.
Burns added that the turtle had a head laceration, but whether the injury caused the death of the young Kemp Ridley remains unknown as it was discovered after the turtle was found “dead, floating in the ocean.”
Burns said that unfortunately, this isn’t the first time an individual/s cut the shell of a stranded sea turtle found on the beach.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Wildlife Alert tipline at 1-888-404-3922 (*FWC from mobile) or make at online report at myfwc.com/contact/wildlife-alert. Callers and writers are eligible for cash awards and will remain anonymous.
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