The world according to me....

Leatherbacks usually migrate through nearshore waters of North Carolina in the spring and also occasionally nest in North Carolina during summer months. That’s why, on a cold day in January, it was so unexpected: a sick leatherback was found near the Bodie Island side of Oregon Inlet. Floating listlessly in the surf, the turtle was pulled onto the beach by a park ranger who waded into the cold and rough water. Park rangers and volunteers remained with the leatherback while biologists and wildlife veterinarians were mobilized and rushed to reach the turtle. The poor condition of the turtle rapidly deteriorated in the short time after she was found. Consultations with wildlife veterinarians, biologists and the US Fish and Wildlife Service ensued and a decision was made to euthanize the animal. Although it was a sad end for the leatherback, it also presented an opportunity for various samples to be collected for at least seven different researchers, in addition to the blood and tissue collected for chemical and histopathological analyses. It was amazing to see up close a large male leatherback (the only one I had seen previously was mating with a female in water about 30m off the nesting beach). Nevertheless, I prefer to see large healthy females laying eggs on a nesting beach.