A massive sea turtle caught in fishing gear off the coast of New Jersey was freed by a team of rescuers this weekend.

A good Samaritan on a recreational fishing boat spotted the entangled, leatherback turtle offshore on Saturday and reported it to the Coast Guard, which then led an effort to rescue the approximately 800-pound animal.

A crew from the Coast Guard's Atlantic City station took a member of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine to a 45-foot response boat located near Corson's Inlet. A crew from the Coast Guard's Cape May station operated the boat.

The rescue team used GPS coordinates provided by the Good Samaritan to find the leatherback turtle, which is one of the largest living reptiles, about 30 miles off the coast of southern New Jersey.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Giannaris, who removed the fishing gear from the turtle, said it was one of his better experiences in the Coast Guard, "just seeing the animal so close and helping marine life. Everyone was pretty energized about the whole experience."

FOLLOW STAR-LEDGER POLITICS: TWITTER • FACEBOOK • GOOGLE+