Sea Turtle

Last month, a SCAR volunteer was on a sailing vacation off New England, when she intercepted a radio call between the US Coast Guard and a local recreational fisherman we will call John. It seem that the fisherman spotted a large sea turtle in distress. He noticed that the turtle had a flipper tangled up in a lobster trap line and was struggling to set itself free! The Coast Guard immediately called the local sea turtle rescue but was only able to leave a voicemail.
 
In the meantime, the SCAR volunteer contacted the fisherman and began a dialogue on rescue efforts and how she could help. He told her that he believed the turtle was losing its battle to keep its head out of the water long enough to breathe. The pictures show the turtle’s head breaking water to breathe, only to be taken down again by the trap line that is anchored to the bottom of the seabed. While turtles can go many hours without coming up for air, it seemed to John the particular turtle had been in that situation for a very long time and was showing signs of exhaustion.
 
Instead of leaving the turtle alone to wait for the rescue, he stayed with the turtle for hours. Our SCAR volunteer stayed in phone contact with John to assess the progress of the rescue. When rescue still didn’t come, the fisherman’s conscience decided he could not leave the turtle to die. He and the SCAR volunteer spoke again about the situation and devised a rescue plan. John then approached the trap from the opposite side and carefully, safely cut one of the lines that was entangled. He never put himself and the turtle at risk but took a positive action to free the animal.
 
Again he sat back and waited with the turtle. Suddenly, the line loosened enough and the turtle set itself free! This beautiful creature, estimated to weigh 200 lbs. and be approximately 4 feet in diameter, was now swimming away to live another day. John thanked the SCAR volunteer for her advice and said … “I felt totally helpless and useless waiting for the "proper authorities" to respond to the needs of this poor turtle.  I am still convinced that no help was ever on its way…  The official report is that the turtle was able to free it's self..  but thanks to your text that beautiful animal is free...”
 
Thank you to our rescuer John ….mild mannered fisherman by day….TURTLE HERO by night! 
“Be involved…make a difference….save a life….feel fulfilled.”