They may be saving Megan Fox on the big screen, but a real life turtle needed some rescuing of its own over the weekend at the Jersey Shore. Coast guard members rescued an 800-pound leatherback turtle that was entangled in fishing gear 30 miles off South Jersey over the weekend.
A good Samaritan aboard a fishing boat spotted the reptile in distress and notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay on Saturday.
Crew members from Coast Guard Station Cape May and officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine traveled 30 miles offshore to the GPS coordinates provided by the good Samaritan. That’s where they found the entangled turtle.
Once they arrived, two crew members managed to free the trapped turtle.
"Everybody was excited," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Giannaris, one of the turtle’s rescuers. "It was one of my better experiences being in the Coast Guard, just seeing the animal so close and helping marine life. Everyone was pretty energized about the whole experience."
Officials captured video of the rescue which is embedded in the video above.
