A critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle was found dead on a St. Johns County beach last Friday. The turtle had lost a flipper after getting tangled in plastic, officials said.

St. Johns County Beach Services shared a heartbreaking photo on Facebook. The picture showed the turtle missing its left flipper, with white plastic tightly wrapped around what was left.

“The cause of death is unknown, but plastic was found in its mouth and wrapped around its front flipper, which may have caused it to fall off,” the agency said.

Hawksbill turtles are rarely seen in Florida, and no nests were recorded in St. Johns County in 2023. These turtles got their name because their mouths look like a hawk’s beak. They were nearly wiped out because poachers hunted them for their shells, which were used for jewelry and glasses.

“Throwing trash away properly and keeping it out of the ocean is one way we can help these turtles survive,” the agency said.