Florida locals rescued a green sea turtle after it became trapped under the boardwalk of Melbourne Beach last week.
A photo captured the freshly freed sea turtle with its three rescuers, Brevard County firefighters. The original photo was liked over 2,500 times and shared over 4,700 times on Facebook. Green sea turtles can grow as much as 420 pounds, and this particular turtle seemed to be approaching that size from the photo.
“Just another day at the office!” firefighter Jason Bistarkey captioned the photo. “This old gal got stuck under the boardwalk and needed some help.”
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Green sea turtles are endangered globally, classified as a threatened species under the U.S. Federal Endangered Species Act in April 2016. Its population is estimated between 85,000 and 90,000 nesting females. All species of sea turtles are considered endangered or threatened.
This particular green sea turtle likely found itself trapped after laying eggs on the beach because it is its nesting season. A typical female will nest once every two years, about 3 to 5 times. Only one baby out of every 1,000 eggs is expected to survive because baby sea turtles hatch in the sand before crossing the beach to get to the ocean.
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The beach’s temperature affects the sex of each baby, with males tending to be born in temperatures at about 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and females need 88 degrees and above. Melbourne Beach expects high temperatures between 86 and 88 degrees this next week.
