SALINAS DEL REY — An endangered giant sea turtle has been found dead in Salinas del Rey in northern Colombia, having somehow traveled all the way from a zoo in Gainesville, Florida.
The Colombian daily El Heraldo reported that the leatherback sea turtle, which appears to have died before reaching land, had been spotted by locals earlier this week buried on the beach, said Police Colonel Pedro Ruiz.
Because of its endangered status, the 1.5 meter-long turtle had been tagged and tracked tracked by GPS. Wildlife officiers and conservationists are investigating to find possible causes of its death, as well as how its journey came to be. Leatherbacks, on the list of species threatened with extinction, are among the world’s largest turtles and can be distinguished by their lack of shell.
