Animals sometimes seem to know exactly where to go when they need a helping hand.
Members of the Northern Gulf Turtle and Coastal Research Group, a wildlife research group stationed at St. Joe Bay, Florida, were surveying for sea turtles recently when they spotted a large loggerhead turtle stuck in a fish aggregating device (FAD).
As they wrote on their Instagram post, “FADS are illegal in marine protected areas such as St. Joe Bay because they often become debris and can cause entanglement of sea life such as sea turtles.”
The turtle swam right up to their boat, almost as if it was asking for help. The researchers didn’t hesitate to provide just that!
A video shows the team hauling the large turtle into their boat and working to free it from the FAD. They gave it a quick check-up to make sure it was healthy, then released it back into the bay. The scientists took this opportunity for a teachable moment to remind fishermen to follow local rules and regulations to avoid injuring wildlife like this turtle.
That poor turtle really lucked out by swimming past this particular group of experts! Watch the video below to see the full rescue, and don’t forget to