Loggerhead sea turtle found dead on Captiva Island

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation said a loggerhead sea turtle was found dead on Captiva Island.

According to the foundation, its turtle team recently found the turtle with injuries that were consistent with blunt force trauma caused by a vessel strike.

Sea turtle biologists discovered the turtle was a nesting female they tagged on Sanibel who nested 15 days earlier, the foundation said.

The turtle was first documented in May 2023, and SCCF said they gave her the name “Pat Benatar” because of her small size and spunky attitude.

She was able to lay at least one nest this season before she died.