While leading a whale-watching tour off the coast of Sri Lanka, Simon Lorenz, owner of Insider Divers, and his guests spotted what first appeared to be a clump of floating debris.
Lorenz, used to observing such clumps for fish and marine life, soon realized there was something very wrong.
“There was this huge shell in there,” he recalled in a video for The Dodo.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the shell belonged to an olive ridley sea turtle — and the flippers splashing at the surface told a troubling story.
The turtle was hopelessly entangled in a discarded fishing net, one of the many “ghost nets” that threaten thousands of marine animals each year, often causing serious injury or death.
Knowing she needed help fast, Lorenz called over one of the tour guides, who bravely jumped into the water with a knife to start cutting the turtle free. The net was thick and tightly coiled, making the rescue challenging.
Despite her ordeal, the turtle remained surprisingly calm, as if she understood the humans were there to help.
Realizing he couldn’t manage alone, the guide was joined by the guests, who helped steady the animal while he carefully cut away the net.
After nearly 40 minutes, the turtle was finally free. Lorenz checked to ensure there were no remaining nets and no visible injuries before the grateful turtle swam away into the open ocean.
Thanks to quick thinking and teamwork, the olive ridley got a second chance at life, free to swim safely for years to come.
“It was a really good feeling to help this animal,” Lorenz said.
