THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 15, 1994 TAG: 9411150303
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
The leatherback and loggerhead turtles, both threatened species, are known as shy animals who are afraid of humans.
Apparently, that fear is justified.
Since Wednesday, four loggerhead and one leatherback turtles have been found dead on Outer Banks beaches, and at least two of them apparently were killed by people.
Rhett B. White, director of the North Carolina Aquarium in Manteo, said the leatherback turtle's body was found Sunday in the surf near the Islander Motel in Nags Head. White said there were no external injuries on the five-foot-long animal, and nothing to indicate a cause of death. The leatherback weighed about 300 pounds.
White said the discovery of the leatherback on the beach was unusual.
``We usually have about 30 or 40 incidents involving stranded sea turtles'' of other species, White said. ``We usually don't see leatherbacks ashore.''
White said two of the dead loggerheads found suffered violent deaths.
``One we found Wednesday . . . had a hole or gash in the top of its skull,'' said White of the turtle found in South Nags Head. ``Whatever entered its skull exited through the neck.''
Another turtle was found Sunday with its head severed in Nags Head.
``The wound was too clean for it to have been caused by a propeller or something like that,'' he said. ``It was obviously done before it washed ashore.''
White said the aquarium serves as the first line of reporting and data collection for the National Marine Fisheries Service. There have been 40 reported turtle deaths north of Oregon Inlet since January, according to aquarium statistics. The turtles were found in Nags Head, Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Duck.
Asked if there was a connection between the recent arrival of menhaden fishing boats and the turtles' deaths, White said, ``There's nothing visible on the animals to tie it together. Everybody thinks the deaths are related, but I'm not going to point a finger. Looking back on the past several years, we see more dead turtles during menhaden season. I don't know if that's coincidence, t it's just an observation.''
White pointed out that there were no net markings on any of the animals reported dead in recent weeks that would indicate a link to the fishing industry.
Data from the deaths was sent to the National Marine Fisheries Service in Elizabeth City. The animals were buried by the cities.
The loggerhead sea turtle is reddish-brown with a disproportionately large head. Adults range from 33 to 40 inches in length and weigh 150 to 400 pounds. It is the most common sea turtle found in the Southeastern United States.
The leatherback is the largest sea turtle. It can grow to six feet, and weigh up to 1,400 pounds. The leatherback is black with white blotches, and is covered by a firm, rubbery skin. The animals are highly migratory, and have been seen as far north as Canada and the northern Pacific. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON/
Matt Reinke, 26, of Boulder, Colo., looks at the carcass of a
leatherback turtle Monday on the beach in Nags Head.
KEYWORDS: TURTLE by CNB