Cause of creature's death undetermined

The creature was laying on its back on the shoreline at First Corner to the north of Old Bar Surf Club, attracting no shortage of attention from passersby.

"I think everyone was pretty amazed at the size of it, and sad obviously that it died," Hunter Local Land Services marine and estuary officer Brian Hughes said.

Mr Hughes said the turtle was measured to be 2.1m in length and he estimated it weighed "hundreds of kilos."

In the absence of any pronounced injuries, it was unclear how the creature died.

Mr Hughes said there was a possibility it could have swallowed plastic or some other marine debris, but he didn't see any obvious signs.

"Turtles with intestinal blockages from plastic often lose weight and can have external growth from floating at the surface and this one looked in good condition to me," he said.

"It may have died from natural causes."

You may also like: Restrictions to ease across Mid Coast but social distancing still applies

Eventually a MidCoast Council contractor was called in with an excavator to relocate the turtle to a less-frequented part of Old Bar Beach, where it was buried.

Marine debris is considered one of the biggest threats to sea turtles, with the creatures often swallowing plastic after mistaking it for jellyfish and subsequently dying from asphyxiation or other complications.

But Mr Hughes said a necropsy (an examination to determine the cause of death) was not considered a viable option for the turtle at Old Bar Beach, as it was an isolated case.

"Logistically it's difficult and for a one-off it doesn't really help you with the management," he said.

"If you were getting lots and lots you would want to know why."

However, a sample was taken from the turtle and sent to Taronga Zoo for genetic analysis, in the hope of establishing what breeding population it was from.

While Australian waters are a known feeding ground for Leatherback Turtles, the closest nesting sites are located in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Mr Hughes said while there was an active marine debris program in place across the Mid Coast and there was no evidence to suggest the turtle had died from swallowing plastic, people could nevertheless help lessen the risk for marine creatures in the area by taking a proactive approach to keeping the waterways clear.

"Everyone can pick up rubbish when they're walking down the beach, look after their fishing gear and use less plastic if they want to look after our turtle species," he said.

The Leatherback Turtle is listed as an endangered species by the NSW Department of Environment and Heritage.