Sea turtle recovering after 14-pound tumor removed

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DUCK KEY, Fla. — A loggerhead sea turtle is recovering in the Florida Keys after having a basketball-sized tumor removed.

A family was boating last Thursday when they came upon a turtle, which they named Chomper because it tried to bite their boat, caught in a fishing line off Duck Key.

They took the 125-pound turtle to The Turtle Hospital where veterinarians removed a 14.2-pound tumor on Saturday. They were also able to untangle the line and save Chomper’s flipper.

“In 30 years, we’ve never seen a tumor that big,” Zirkelbach told the Miami Herald.

Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach said it’s rare to find tumors on a loggerhead.

Chomper is expected to recover.

Loggerhead turtles are designated as a threatened species. Adults weigh on average 275 pounds but they can grow up to 400 pounds, according to wildlife officials.