The turtle, discovered by a Chappaquiddick homeowner on Sept. 26, was heavily decomposed, but could have died by a ship strike.

The decomposing carcass of a leatherback sea turtle with severe gashes indicative of a vessel strike was found washed up on Fuller street beach in Edgartown earlier this week.

A dead leatherback sea turtle with a severe vessel strike was found washed up on the eastern corner of West Chop Monday, experts at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary confirmed.

Sea turtle specialists have documented a high number of leatherback turtle boat strikes this summer, including at least one off the Vineyard.

A team from Coast Guard Station Menemsha helped free a leatherback turtle entangled in fishing gear south of the Vineyard early Friday morning.

A large dead leatherback turtle that was more than five and a half feet long washed up at Great Rock Bight beach on the north shore last Tuesday afternoon. The beach is owned by the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. Land bank property foreman Matthew N. Dix said the New England Aquarium was contacted, but then the turtle washed back out into the Sound.

Mr. Dix speculated that the turtle may have been killed by a boat, as it had large gashes on it that could have come from a propeller.

A 1,500 pound, eight-foot long male leatherback turtle that had become entangled in fishing gear was rescued in Nantucket Sound on Friday by a group that included the Oak Bluffs harbor master and shellfish constable.

“I couldn’t believe the size of that thing. That is a first for me,” said harbor master Todd Alexander.

The body of a leatherback turtle, a federally protected endangered species, washed ashore at South Beach on Sunday. Volunteer members of the turtle stranding committee said the cause of death was not immediately apparent.

“There was no sign of an injury,” said Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary director Suzan Bellincampi. Ms. Bellincampi said the turtle was in a state of decomposition and had likely been floating for awhile before washing ashore.

The body of a leatherback turtle, a federally protected endangered species, washed ashore at South Beach on Monday. Volunteer members of the turtle stranding committee said the cause of death was not immediately apparent.

“There was no sign of an injury,” said Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary director Suzan Bellincampi. Ms. Bellincampi said the turtle was in a state of decomposition and had likely been floating for awhile before washing ashore.