Rare leatherback sea turtles wash up dead in South Carolina

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. – Two dead leatherback sea turtles have been discovered along South Carolina’s coast.

The Post and Courier reports (http://bit.ly/2q93SQF ) that the large sea turtles are rarely seen in the area. One was found dead on the beach in front of Fort Moultrie on Friday, while another was first spotted already decomposing behind a sea wall on Isle of Palms on Saturday.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources sea turtle recovery co-ordinator Michelle Pate says both turtles were hit by boats. She says that 14 leatherbacks have washed up dead since January, with 10 of those in the past three weeks. Most of the turtles, which are endangered, had died from boat strikes.