Image

Operation Free Turtle

People who come across sea turtles or other marine animals in distress should immediately contact a local disentanglement hotline. But what happens if you are hundreds of miles from a trained expert, as was the case recently on R/V Atlantis? During the current cruise in the East Pacific, personnel spotted two turtles entangled in a fishing net. Atlantis crewmembers Ronnie Whims (front) and Raul Martinez set out on the ship’s small boat and spent more than a half hour carefully removing lines from the animals. When the second was freed, it lingered before swimming off, making noises that Raul said sounded like, “Thank You!”(Photo by Allison Heater, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)