Coast Guard, Marathon Turtle Hospital rescue 450-pound sea turtle near Key West
Coast Guard Station Key West and Marathon Turtle Hospital pulled a 450-pound green sea turtle from waters south of Sugarloaf Key after it could not dive.
A U.S. Coast Guard Station Key West boat crew and the Marathon Turtle Hospital rescued a distressed 450-pound sea turtle about 7 miles south of Sugarloaf Key, bringing the massive animal into rehab after it could not stay underwater. The Coast Guard said the Florida Keys fall under its maritime stewardship through protection of living marine resources.
The rescue began after the Turtle Hospital was alerted Friday afternoon to a mission just outside Whale Harbor Marina in Islamorada. The hospital said a Coast Guard vessel had spotted a green sea turtle that was unable to dive, and that despite the animal’s effort, its rear end would not go under the water.
The coordinated response stretched across Monroe County waters, from Islamorada to the waters south of Sugarloaf Key, and showed how often local marine responders must work together when a large turtle is in trouble. The Coast Guard did not identify any crew members involved, and the hospital did not release the turtle’s name, injuries or treatment status.
The Marathon Turtle Hospital has long served as a regional rescue and rehabilitation center for injured and endangered sea turtles in the Keys, with public releases that have taken place in Key West and Marathon. In this case, the animal’s size alone made the response notable: the turtle weighed 450 pounds, a scale that requires trained handling on both the water and shore side of the operation.
The rescue also reflected the hazards that confront sea turtles in Florida Keys waters, where boat traffic, fishing gear and other marine risks can leave animals unable to surface or dive normally. The Coast Guard’s maritime stewardship mission in the Keys is centered on those living marine resources, and the joint effort with the Turtle Hospital turned that responsibility into a direct recovery off Sugarloaf Key.
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