AUTHORITIES have lashed out at irresponsible litterers after a giant green turtle was found choking to death off a Darwin beach yesterday.
The adult female-believed to be about 40 years old-was spotted in distress floating about 200m offshore in Fannie Bay.
It is believed she had swallowed a plastic bag.
The giant green turtle yesterday. Sadly, it died soon after this photograph was taken, a victim of thoughtless litterers. Picture: CLIVE HYDERescuers battled rough seas to pluck the turtle from the water but the gentle giant died on its way to the Ark Animal Hospital.
Ark vet Stephen Cutter said the turtle more than likely died from swallowing a plastic bag _ a death he described as horribly slow and painful.
"It causes them to vomit and an acid forms on the lungs and they develop pneumonia," he said.
"They also get trapped at the surface and suffer exhaustion and sunburn repeatedly trying to dive back underwater.
"I'd say this turtle had been like that for a while.
"It's covered in green slime, indicating it had been on the water's surface for some time."
The death has infuriated the vet and prompted him to remind people about disposing of their rubbish responsibly when fishing or at the beach.
"Plastic shopping bags kill large numbers of wildlife each year," he said.
"That's one of the most common reasons for deaths in turtles as they think the bags are jellyfish, which is their main food source."
"I urge people to be conscious of what you do. What seems like a little act of littering can cause disastrous affects on marine life."
Territorian David Fong and his four-year-old son Saul were the first to spot the turtle when they were walking at East Point about 8.30am yesterday.
Mr Fong said he was amazed at how big the creature was, but after watching it for a while he knew "something wasn't quite right".
"It just kept flapping its flippers and rolling over," he said. "It looked like it was trying to swim and dive under the water but couldn't."
He reported it to NT Parks and Wildlife.
Senior wildlife officers Ray Chatto and Tommy Nichols, with the help of the Museum and Art Gallery NT's marine officer Steve Gregg, tackled the extremely rough sea and wind conditions in a boat to rescue the stricken animal about 12.30pm.
But sadly, when Mr Chatto was driving her to the veterinary hospital in Palmerston, she died.