Aquarium, Deputies Rescue Giant Leatherback Turtle

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CLEARWATER (CBSMiami/AP) — A several-hundred pound leatherback sea turtle – found tangled in a crab trap – was rescued by Clearwater Marine Aquarium employees and Pinellas County deputies.

The turtle was found Friday near Clearwater Pass, with the rope of a crab trap looped around its neck. It was believed to be between 400-500 pounds.

Rescuers disentangled the crab trap while keeping the turtle in the water and set it free.

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living turtles.

In April, Mote marine rescuers helped a leatherback in similar circumstances.

The enormous turtles mainly nest on the Atlantic coast, but some live in the Gulf of Mexico.

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