Over the weekend, a team effort led to the successful rescue of a leatherback sea turtle that measured a full 1.4 meters (4-and-a-half feet).

The reptiles have normally already migrated through Massachusetts coastal waters by late October, but this one, entangled in fishing gear, was slow to get going off the coast of Pamet Harbor in Cape Cod Bay.

Fortunately, The Center for Coastal Studies' Marine Animal Entanglement Response team and the US Coast Guard Truro Harbor Master successfully disentangled the turtle, and he swam off virtually unscathed—and pretty quickly—after he was freed.

Report any sightings of wildlife in trouble near Massachusetts waters to the USCG or the CCS hotline immediately (1-800-900-3622)

Photo courtesy of Center for Coastal Studies – permit #50 CFR 222.310