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Professors save endangered sea turtle in Hawaii

Professors Jason and Jennifer Turner from the University of Hawai‘i helped a stranded endangered sea turtle as students watched the animal rescue, reports the University of Hawai’i newsroom.

What was a normal day at class became a rare opportunity to save an endangered female Hawksbill sea turtle, which lay between 100 to 350 nests in the U.S. region every year, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The turtle had been spotted stranded in a freshwater pond away from the ocean, when it was spotted by locals.

After searching in the muddy waters unsuccessfully, the professors literally stumbled upon the turtle.

“The second time I felt the turtle swim by, I dove under, grabbed onto a hind flipper and held on until the rest of the team could help,” Dr. Turner told the source. “I couldn’t see the entire body due to the muddy water, but I could tell it was a big animal.”

The turtle was a record breaking 309 pounds and as onlookers watched, the professors released the turtle back into the ocean.

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the hawksbill sea turtle experienced global population declines of 80 percent or more during the past century and continued declines are projected.
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