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Turtle traffic shuts down Kennedy runway
78 turtles crawled from the bay onto the tarmac
Updated: Wednesday, 08 Jul 2009, 5:44 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 08 Jul 2009, 5:44 PM EDT
NEW YORK, NY - A runway at New York City's Kennedy Airport was shut down Wednesday morning after 78 turtles emerged from the bay and crawled onto the tarmac.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says grounds crews rounded up the wayward reptiles in about 35 minutes and deposited them back in the water, further from airport property.
The shutdown disrupted flight schedules, though, with delays climbing to nearly 11/2 hours.
Pilots reported the first turtle sightings at around 8:30 a.m.
The Port Authority identified the turtles as Diamondback Terrapins. They appeared to be about 8 inches long and weigh 2 to 3 pounds each.
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