Authorities say a huge dead leatherback turtle washed ashore off the NSW central coast. They suspect it may have been killed by heavy rains and severe flooding.
The turtle washed up on Avoca Beach on Wednesday morning. It is estimated that it is a 30-year-old adult measuring over 1.8 metres in length.
Officials at the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue It is believed that the turtle was affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding on the east coast.
The largest marine turtle, the leatherback turtle, is usually around 20 years old. They can live for as long as 40 to 50 years.
The leatherback is a threatened species in NSW. It is at high risk of extinction if they aren’t protected.
Sometimes, the species can be seen feeding and foraging in NSW’s coastal waters, which are part of its migratory corridor. However, sightings are rare.
Only 58 leatherback turtles were ever seen in NSW.
A spokesperson from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service claimed that there is yet no cause for the death.
Although there are no obvious signs to indicate how the turtle died, experts at the Australian Registry for Wildlife Health are currently taking samples for analysis.
The skull will also be collected by Australian Museum in order to better understand the leatherback population.
Authorities will bury turtle body from beach.
A body from another leatherback washed up on the shores of Birdie beach, a little further north, earlier in this week.
Mark Hamann, associate professor of marine biology at James Cook University said that turtles face many difficulties in the Pacific Ocean.
There are many factors that can affect the species in the entire ocean basin, including pollution, habitat loss, and fisheries bycatch.
They are very rare. He stated that there are only a few leatherbacks on the east coast of Australia.
Hamann stated that the turtle was likely affected by the pollution caused by flooding in northern NSW. This is due to their special diet of jellyfish.
We all know that the plastics they consume are a major problem for leatherback turtles.
The leatherback can also eat plastic bags that smell a lot like jellyfish. These floods only add to the problem of plastic bags already present in the environment.
Hamann suggested that the turtle could have been killed by fisheries bycatch.
We know that leatherback turtles are occasionally killed in accidental bycatch in fisheries both in Australia and internationally.
