An eastern North Carolina sheriff’s office is asking boaters to slow down and watch for sea creatures after a sea turtle was killed by a boat’s propeller on Sunday.
Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol Unit officials say the injured turtle was rescued and turned over to Sunset Beach Turtle Watch but did not survive.
Deputies say sea turtles and other creatures often surface for air and to warm up, and sometimes they look like trash or a log floating in the water. They say if boaters would slow down, injuries to sea life could be avoided.
Propeller strikes are one of the leading causes of death for sea creatures and officials say they are on the rise; they have already seen more turtles injured and killed this year than in the last several years.
