Over the weekend, a 150 lb loggerhead sea turtle was saved by an off-duty marine resources enforcement officer.
Liz Lyne, 20-year veteran of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, was boating with some friends when she noticed a sea turtle entangled in a fishing trap line. She was able to cut the line so the turtle could safely swim away.
Without human intervention, this lucky sea turtle likely would have died.
That wasn’t the first time Lyne was involved with a sea turtle rescue. She had previously assisted with rescues twice before. Loggerhead sea turtles are considered threatened and are protected by state and federal laws.
If you see a sea turtle in need of rescue, contact The Turtle Hospital in Marathon at (305) 743-2552 or the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) at 888-404-FWCC (3922).