A TURTLE rescued by a Weymouth woman has been released after sustaining injuries from being entangled in a net.
Starr Sams, a marine biologist working in the Maldives, discovered ‘Basil’ the Olive Ridley Turtle after being alerted to a 'ghost net' with an expected entangled turtle just off the island.
Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been lost or abandoned and end up drifting around in the oceans, threatening marine life by entangling them and making it impossible to escape, also damaging coral reefs and contributing to the plastic pollution of the ocean as most are made from nylon or other plastic compounds.
The 24-year-old said: “When I first saw Basil entangled, my surprise quickly turned to concern when I saw how deep his wounds were, once we were able to free him from most of the net, I was relieved, but also very conscious of the need to get him somewhere he could be treated for his injuries as soon as possible.
“Despite being mainly entangled in the ghost net by his front flippers, his wounds were deep but superficial, and no bone was exposed.
“Initially, he was unable to use one of his swollen front flippers, though with care and rehabilitation at the Olive Ridley Project Turtle Rescue Centre, this has improved significantly over time."
Basil was transferred immediately to the Olive Ridley Rescue Centre and now after several rounds of follow-up diagnostics and treatments from vets at the Olive Ridley Project, he has recovered and been released back into the ocean.
Starr added: "It was so great to be able to watch the live stream of his release - it's just a really positive feeling knowing that he's recovered and back where he belongs."
“It was also another moment of realisation for me exactly how much human pollution is impacting marine life.
“Though this story has a positive ending, I am always slightly shocked and saddened to see the direct impacts of ghost gear and other human waste on marine life, especially sea turtles, which are so gentle and graceful and have existed on Earth for over 100 million years.”
- READ MORE: Pea the rescue hedgehog has been released in Dorchester, Dorset from Prickly Prickles Rescue
- READ MORE: Help keep Chesil Beach in Dorset litter free
Basil is one of the fortunate turtles as earlier on this year, Starr had to deal with two large scale ghost nets.
Starr said: “In terms of what I’ve had to deal with so far, ghost nets are definitely the biggest problem, we have unfortunately had some dead turtles entangled - It’s really sad, but the more we take out of the water, the less chance it has of having that impact.”
You can find out more about Starr’s underwater journey on Instagram @sharkswithstarr and to find out more about the Olive Ridley Project visit: https://oliveridleyproject.org/.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here