Five sea turtles have died by boats in Massachusetts in the past month alone

Karen Dourdeville of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary said novice boaters may play a role in uptick of deaths

Five loggerhead turtles off the coast of Massachusetts have been killed by boats in July — an alarming and “unusually high” number, according to Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

The collisions have happened around a 3-week time period, in coastal cities in Massachusetts: Harwich, West Falmouth, Pocasset, Scituate, and Westport.

In light of the recent killings, the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary issued a statement for boaters. “If you’re a boater or you know one please tell them to be on the look-out for sea turtles in our waters!” the organization said on Facebook.

Karen Dourdeville, a stranding coordinator for the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, said novice boaters, or the nice weather, may play a role in the uptick in deaths.

“We assume that with better boating weather more boaters are out on the water. We also know that there are many new boaters on the water this year, as boat purchases during the COVID-19 lockdowns were very high,” Ms Dourdeville told SouthCoastToday.

Loggerheads are brown and swim just on or beneath the surface.

Ms Dourdeville said because the turtles can be mistaken for seaweed, it’s important for boaters to be alert when driving and avoid going on autopilot. And even a strike from a small boat can kill a turtle, so the warning applies to all boaters.

It’s especially crucial to preserve loggerheads’ lives because the turtles are on the endangered species list. Along with new and more boaters, the Center for Biological Diversity said the climate crisis and coastal development are other threats to the loggerhead population.