He was caught on a fishing hook at a Mississippi pier and then taken to a rescue facility.  After healing, Squirt was released into the Gulf near where he was caught. He was fitted with a satellite-tracking device so his movements could be monitored as he roamed. Squirt first swam south to Louisiana through Chandeleur Sound before turning back north off East Bay, just south of Venice, Louisiana.

He continued north-northeast before turning west offshore of Dauphin Island, Alabama. Entering Mississippi Sound, Squirt headed west and roamed off Cat Island, one of Mississippi's chain of barrier islands. Suddenly the radio transmissions ended.

They began five days later when his carcass surfaced. He drifted along and was eventually found dead on a beach. You see, Squirt had gone where there was shrimp fishing and Mississippi shrimpers use skimmer trawls without any Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to allow sea turtles to escape. . See Squirt's satellite tracking here.

Sadly, Squirt survived a fishing hook, but was one of the thousands of sea turtles accidently caught and drowned in shrimp nets that don’t use Turtle Excluder Devices. But now we have a chance to make sure that sea turtles like Squirt escape nets without harm!

With your help, we can win new protections for sea turtles in the shrimp fishery! More than 5,500 sea turtles can be saved with use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). Please join us in closing the deadly loophole that exempts shallow water shrimp trawl boats from using TEDs. The deadline is July 9 to support proposed new sea turtle protections in the shrimp fishery.

Take Action Now and also write an original letter for Squirt! Send it to Michael Barnette at National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Protected Resources Division, 263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5505 

More about Squirt

This small endangered sea turtle was carefully examined by experts from the NOAA National Ocean Service Marine Biotoxins Program. They concluded there was no evidence of oil exposure or any harmful algal bloom/biotoxin. He had been a healthy little turtle that had been eating crabs and fish until caught in a trawl without a TED. He tried to escape but there was no way and no one was timing the tow that killed him. Maybe the shrimper didn't know the "timed tow" law or maybe he didn't care.

At last, the National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed ending the "timed tow" regulations that probably drowned Squirt and will continue to kill sea turtles in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama waters unless made illegal. (Texas prohibits the use of skimmers and Florida requires TEDs be placed on them.) The new regulations will require TEDs on all trawls including skimmers. Please speak up now for Squirt and the other ridleys and sea turtles that call the Gulf of Mexico home. Join us in ending an unenforceable regulation that has killed thousands of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal waters. TEDs work! All shrimpers need to use them!  Take Action Now and also write an original letter for Squirt!

. See Squirt's satellite tracking here.