Dead Hawksbill Turtle found

According to the CI Department of Environment, the Cayman Islands ended 2019 with some sad news:

Local divers found a dead hawksbill turtle off the coast near Lighthouse Point on Dec. 30. The turtle was found at about 80 foot depth with its left front flipper wrapped in fishing line.

Lost or discarded fishing line poses a major threat to sea turtles, especially juveniles, as it can entangle them and cut into their skin. The line is virtually impossible to see underwater. Hawksbills are critically endangered and lay very few nests in Cayman.

The Department of Environment (DoE) urges residents and visitors to use their fishing line recycling bins (pictured), in place at boat launching ramps and some local dive shops, rather than discarding their lines into the sea or on the beach.