A rare sighting off the coast of Italy. A giant turtle attracts attention for several days – with a sad ending.
Bremen – Turtles in the world’s oceans are under severe threat. There are only seven species of sea turtles left in the world. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest species in the world. Now a specimen has been discovered off the Italian coastal town of Viareggio in Tuscany – with a sad ending.
300 kilograms and two meters long: Giant leatherback turtle discovered off Italy’s coast
WWF Italy reports in a noticethat a “giant leatherback turtle was found lifeless in the sea of Versilia”. Several witnesses had previously discovered the turtle swimming in the water. A few days later, a naval unit of the Guardia di Finanza found the dead animal in the sea, around two nautical miles from the port city’s lighthouse.
The marine unit reports that the turtle had become entangled in the tip of an underwater counterweight. At first, the emergency services were unable to lift the weight. Police divers had to enter the water to free the turtle’s body. The animal was around two meters long and weighed around 300 kilograms. A giant leatherback turtle was also discovered in the North Sea last year.
“Huge loss for biodiversity”: Crane has to lift dead turtle onto land
From there it was towed to the port of Viareggio, where a crane placed the animal on a transport vehicle. The WWF reports: “The lifeless body of the majestic turtle will now be handed over to the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Pisa, which will analyse it together with the ARPAT of Livorno and the University of Siena to determine the cause of death.” Just recently, fishermen pulled an extremely rare animal out of the sea.
Following the discovery, the organisation warns: “This sad discovery, once again caused – unintentionally or deliberately – by human action, represents an enormous loss for the biodiversity of our oceans and the protection of large species.”
All seven sea turtle species threatened with extinction
WWF Germany explains in a noticethat all seven species of sea turtles still in existence are threatened with extinction. Although the animals are strictly protected from international trade, populations have declined dramatically in recent years.
Reasons for this include hunting for their meat and shells, eggs, and “reckless development of beaches and rising sea levels,” which make egg-laying more difficult. Around 250,000 animals end up in fishermen’s nets every year. In addition, rising temperatures are the reason why more females than males hatch, leading to a “glaring gender imbalance.”
In addition, increasing marine pollution is endangering turtles. Leatherback turtles, for example, cannot distinguish between plastic waste and their favorite food, jellyfish.
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