BOSTON GLOBE (Massachusetts) 05 November 05 Rare leatherback sea turtle dies at aquarium (Ralph Ranalli)
Her appearance was as rare and as inspiring as a comet's, and ultimately all too brief for the marine scientists at the New England Aquarium.
The 350-pound leatherback sea turtle that washed ashore in Dennis and survived for two days at the aquarium as scientists worked to save her died just after midnight yesterday, spokesman Tony LaCasse said.
The leatherback, the largest breed of sea turtle, is extremely rare, and has often fared poorly in captivity. The turtle that died was the first leatherback at the aquarium in 30 years, LaCasse said.
''This was a near-religious experience for many of the staff here," LaCasse said. They realize that they may never see a live leatherback in a rehabilitation setting for the rest of their careers."
The 5-foot-long turtle appeared to have an intestinal parasite and low blood-sugar levels, but the cause of its death was still unknown, LaCasse said. After being treated with antibiotics and intravenous fluids, the turtle's condition appeared to stabilize after she was put in a rehabilitation tank in the aquarium's basement and hooked to a specially-designed harness to keep her from smashing into the tank walls.
Leatherbacks are open-ocean reptiles and do not adapt to swimming in confined spaces, LaCasse said. Just after midnight, the turtle failed to come up for a breath, and researchers who had been watching her around the clock tried a variety of methods to revive her, he said.
Her death was unfortunate, LaCasse said, but the turtle's brief time at the aquarium yielded valuable information about the design of the harness that could help other leatherbacks in the future.
After a full-body CAT scan and a necropsy at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute on Cape Cod, tissue samples will be sent to turtle specialists around the world, he said
Rare leatherback sea turtle dies at aquarium