Helping turtles...a dilemma

[kanonfodr]

Well I had just about the best diving experience of my life today over on the west side, diving the Mahi and Makaha. Great vis, tons of sealife, and a Monk Seal swimming with us (YAY!!!). The best thing tho, the one that really made me proud of myself, was when I encountered a turtle who was really strung up in fishing line. I took out my shears I carry and cut a good portion of it away, but he was really getting annoyed so I decided to call it good enough as I don't want to really freak him out. Also, to get all of it away of him would have required a dive buddy to actually grab on to him and hold him (Big No No).

Being faced with such a situation, what would others in the Ohana do?? The best you can but don't get too hands on, or decide that it would be worth the legal issues and possible further harm to the animal etc. to actually get him completely cleaned up?? Me personally I hope he is able to work his way free of the rest, hopefully another diver be able to help him better, whatever happens as long as he gets that stuff off. But for next time, what does everyone else say??

Peace,
Greg

 

[maildiver]

Tough call, but depending on how tangled it is, bottom line is, if he can't surface he will drown. I can't see any legal ramifications if you are trying to help free an animal, but then again sometimes laws work against us. Best to have witnesses to prove you were trying to help. Sounds like you did all you could do at the time, and yes I would have done it too!

 

[scottitheduck]

I've performed a similar rescue and yes we needed two of us....... May you have good dives from here on out, you just scored 100 karma points!

G

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I have more than a little experience with this. I called DLNR after my first hooked turtle sighting; 1997 at Pu'u Olai, Maui, and I was told the best way is to take direct action if possible. Making a report usually does no good. Officers go take a look, even make a dive, but the likely hood they find the wrapped flipper or hooked turtle on one quick look is not high. I doubt anyone ever got that hook out of that turtle.

Later, I worked for Deep Ecology in Haleiwa. They had done a bunch of turtle rescues before I joined and we did quite a few during my time. They have a relationship with George Balazs, the NOAA turtle guy. Often a trip was decided upon in advance and George was in on it, other times we would just run into a turtle in need of rescue and we took care of it if possible. There were a number of turtles with very tightly wrapped flippers that required capture for amputation and rehab before eventually being released back to home territory.

My last rescue was a few years ago at Ulua, Maui. A young turtle had a few nylon fishing line wraps around a shoulder. Over the course of a few months I watched his range of motion diminish, eventually to where it was only moving when startled, not using it during normal swimming. Then one training dive it kind of presented that flipper to me as we went by. I sold my student a 5th dive so she could come help cut the line while I held it down. The turtle again circled in close with the wounded side. I got a good hold from both sides of the shell.My helper got a little squeamish because of the way the line had sliced into the shoulder, but she got in there and made the cuts.

I'm not sure I want to try to hold a 2 foot across shell size turtle by myself. Bigger than 3' across shell might mean 3 people to hold it. Most rescues are better done out of the water, so the turtle can breathe. I watched my patient take a big breath, and then watched for exhaling and it kept hold of it's breath the whole time. Saw him for a few months after that, eventually using the flipper properly.