Sea turtle buried on Seagate Beach after being hit by boat

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – A county worker and another woman jumped into action when a dead green sea turtle washed up on the shore of Seagate Beach Friday morning.

Every morning, Gail Turner takes a walk on Seagate Beach. On Friday, she saw a dead green sea turtle wash up on shore. 

“It looked like it was cut at the top of the head in the back, it was really sad to see and nobody was around,” Turner said. 

Moments later Turner said a county worker showed up and the two dragged the turtle towards the dune area and started digging. 

Turner said it wasn’t easy. 

“I would think it weighed maybe 70-100lbs. It was difficult to drag and bury it,” Turner said.

Collier County Principal Environmental Specialist Maura Kraus said the county worker buried the green sea turtle four feet deep, which is the state protocol.

“They provide nutrients for the dunes to make the dunes grow stronger and they put nutrients back into the dune system so they are good for the beach,” Kraus said. 

Kraus said this green sea turtle was hit by a boat. 

“Well sea turtles are air-breathing they have to come up to breathe so you know usually it’s always an accident. Nobody hits them on purpose but it does happen,” Kraus said. 

This year alone Collier County has seen 32 sea turtle injuries or deaths from boating-related incidents, red tide, and shark bites. 

“It’s very sad, it’s very very sad,” Turner said. 

Remember sea turtle nesting season runs through October so make sure to be mindful of patching any holes on the beach and picking up your trash. 

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