The Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Fort Meyers, Florida, responded to an injured sea turtle near Sanibel Causeway this past Saturday. The deputies determined that the injury was due to a propeller strike. Despite treatment efforts made by the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), the turtle sustained such serious injuries that it needed to be euthanized. According to the sheriff’s office, three propeller strikes had detached the turtle’s shell and damaged its internal organs.
The same day, the sheriff’s office also recovered the body of a deceased sea turtle near Sanibel Island, which they believe was killed from a propeller strike as well. They are now asking boaters “to be cautious and to put their boat in neutral whenever they are in the presence of sea animals.”
CROW is a non-profit organization that has been doing rehabilitative work on Florida’s wildlife since 1968. They have treated over 200 species and help more than 4,500 animals each year. To learn more about their work, visit their website here.
