Friends of ours were sailing just outside the Eastern Point breakwater when they spotted this guy or gal! Before getting close enough to clearly identify it, they said that the huge head almost looked like a very small humpback whale calf. Upon closer inspection it was, without a doubt, a massive turtle!
For all the time I have spent on the water in this area, I have never seen a turtle like this!
Can anyone chime in? Is this pretty rare? I’m sad that the photo doesn’t do justice to what was, based on their description, a beautiful creature!
Good Morning Gloucester 
Thanks Nicole. Might be a leatherback turtle. I think they’re more common near Cape Cod and south to Florida, but leatherback turtles were recently reported being sighted in this area. Boaters are cautioned to look out for them since they are hard to see traveling at the surface, and also to report if they see them.
Nicole, here is the ‘reporting hotline’ for people that see one of these – http://www.seaturtlesightings.org/report.html or call – 1-888-Sea-Turt If the turtle is entangled or injured, in need of immediate assistance, the observer is instructed to call 800-900-3622, the Center for Coastal Studies’ Disentanglement Hotline. Otherwise, the observer is asked to provide information about the sea turtle including: date, time, location, approximate size and other physical characteristics, and any additional comments.
For more info on leatherbacks – http://newenglandoceanodyssey.org/leatherback-turtles-really-get-around/.
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Thanks for all of that great information, Karen!
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Here’s one more notice I just saw – Leatherbacks in the area and “boaters beware” – http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20150708/NEWS/150707086/12662/NEWS
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There’s been a lot of jellies in the cove lately. It’s probably just following the food source.
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Hello Nichole,
I work with MassAudubon’s Sea Turtle Sighting Hotline. We’d really like to get the details about your leatherback sighting. You can report online at our website, seaturtlesightings.org . The website also gives info about the different species of sea turtles in our area and maps showing where they’ve been seen.
Thanks,
Karen
MassAudubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
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