WATCH: Two Maltese Fisherman Launch Rescue Mission To Save Turtle Stuck In Tuna Hook And Line
Spotting turtles in Malta is always a pleasant surprise, but two local fishermen had to do more than record their encounter when they came across a turtle in distress.
“We’re going to do a little bit of a rescue,” recreational fisherman Silvio Grixti announced, panning towards his friend Michael Grima. The two had just found a turtle tangled in a fishing hook and line, and what follows is a three-minute rescue operation of adorable proportions.
“She has a huge hook, as you can clearly see,” Silvio explained, showing the extent of the damage to the turtle. As the two fishermen observe, the turtle was actually caught by fishing equipment intended for tuna, which is particularly sturdy to be able to catch the larger fish.
Thankfully, the video has a happy ending.
Once freed from its confusing and painful shackles, the turtle is thrown back into the water with a victorious splash. As the two fishermen waited, the turtle could be seen resurfacing, and swimming around, still looking a tad overwhelmed.
“After about an hour, we passed from the area again,” Silvio told Lovin Malta, clearing the air on how, towards the end of the clip, the two friends sound concerned on the turtle’s condition and whether she’d be able to recover and pull through.
“We spotted her again, and as soon as the boat approached, she instantly dived. Before, she could barely move, but soon enough, she had regained enough strength to make it.”
Silvio and Michael filmed the footage to help raise awareness on saving Malta’s seas, especially considering this isn’t the first time we’ve seen turtles and other animals being stuck in fishing materials, or worse, plastic waste.
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