Loggerhead killed by dredge at Oceanfront

     Accident occurred same day rehabilitated turtle “Lucky,” who survived propeller, was released

Virginia Beach – On Tuesday, the day a once-mangled sea turtle was released in the Chesapeake Bay, another was caught in the suction arm of a dredge that is helping rebuild the Oceanfront beach.   The juvenile loggerhead turtle, a threatened species, was apparently feeding on the bottom near the entrance channel to the Bay when caught and killed by the dredge.   Officials were quick to point out that, despite elaborate precautions, a certain number of “incidental” sea turtle deaths were expected – and even permitted by federal regulators – during the massive dredging operation.   “This was the first and hopefully the last,” said Phillip Roehrs, the city’s coastal engineer, who oversees the project.   The lower Chesapeake is known as a major feeding ground for juvenile sea turtles. They eat all types of crabs, particularly horseshoe and blue crabs.

  The irony was that the death occurred at about the same time members of the Virginia Marine Science Museum Stranding Team were releasing “Lucky,” a loggerhead that has spent a year recovering from an encounter with a boat propeller.   The dredges have two long arms that trail behind, sucking sand off the bottom. They’re equipped with screens to minimize sea turtle accidents. Each dredge carries a federally approved observer who inspects the baskets on each arm for sea life.   The turtle was taken to the museum’s Stranding Center to verify the cause of death. The center has dealt with carcasses of about 250 sea turtles this year. Many had been caught in stationary fishing nets.   Mark Swingle, head of the stranding team, said that by far the biggest problem for sea turtles is loss of nesting areas because of beachfront development.   Dean Robinson, project manager for Weeks marine, the dredging company, said there are far fewer deaths now than before precautions were put in place. “We hate to do it, but it’s unfortunately going to happen,” he said.