Tragic '100-year-old' discovery in shark nets off popular Aussie beach
The latest shark net rescue comes as calls mount to have them axed across beaches in Australia, with wildlife experts branding them ineffective and deadly.
Aussie lifeguards who freed a possibly 100-year-old turtle that became badly stuck in shark nets at the weekend said the "exhausted" and seriously distressed animal would've likely drowned if nobody had spotted it struggling in the water.
The tragic discovery is the latest in a string of recent rescues involving marine animals, as wildlife advocates continue their calls to have shark nets removed.
On Sunday, the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) responded to reports of an entangled marine animal roughly one kilometre off Dee Why, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, by a concerned member of the public.
No time to spare to rescue 'clearly exhausted' leatherback turtle
Drone footage deployed by ORRCA quickly revealed the animal in question to be a large, likely very old leatherback turtle that had become completely stuck in the netting and was struggling to free itself. The two-metre long creature was clearly exhausted and likely on the cusp of drowning should the situation have gone unnoticed, responders said.
On a jet ski, Northern Beaches lifeguards David Hooper and Tiaan Cronje quickly travelled to the netted area, knowing there was no time to spare in cutting the animal loose, they said.
"When you see such an incredible animal so distressed — it pulls on your heart strings," Hooper said in a statement. "As soon as we got out there it was apparent it was going to require the two of us so we moored the jet ski, put on the fins, mask and snorkel that all our jet skis are equipped with, and positioned ourselves on each side of the animal.
"We began to slowly cut the netting — being very mindful of the safety of both the turtle and ourselves as well. The turtle showed no signs of aggression — it could feel us loosening the nets and each time we got through a section it struggled again to free itself.
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"We wanted to be sure it didn’t go without us having removed every part of the netting, and end up in a worse situation. We also needed to make sure it was outside the net so it didn’t just swim back into it again."
Turtle completely entangled in netting
Hooper said that "we could tell the poor thing was exhausted" and, after 20 minutes or more of working to free it, both he and Cronje "were also tiring". "We freed the neck and fins first and then eventually were able to remove the rest but the turtle remained too heavy to get off the net by itself," he recalled.
Heartbreaking drone footage from ORRCA shows how seriously the animal was entangled, with netting covering its entire body, fins, and wrapped around its neck. In the video, the animal — roughly the size of the men in length and double in width — flails its fins around as they work tirelessly to save it.
As the men continue to cut away the netting, the rope covering the turtle gradually loosens and slowly it is able to use its fins again. Eventually, the men were able to cut it completely loose, with the animal quickly darting away into the depths of the ocean.
Happy outcome for turtle, but shark net controversy remains
"It was amazing, exhilarating. To have been able to save this animal, which we were told could be up to 100-years-old, was really the best feeling," Hooper said.
The rescue comes as calls continue to mount from marine and wildlife experts, urging authorities to remove shark nets, which have long been accused of being ineffective and deadly. Andre Borell, the Founder of Envoy Foundation, previously told Yahoo News Australia that he believes the nets are outdated.
"There is no place for shark nets in a modern society or a modern beach safety program," he told Yahoo.
"They have not reduced shark bites [and] they are not a barrier that keeps sharks separated from people. There are so many better options, backed by science and the community, that should replace them. It is without a doubt time for the nets to be scrapped."
Shark nets are just six metres high, so when erected offshore at a depth of 10 meters, the animals can swim over them. In addition, they are just 150 metres wide, so on wide beaches predators can also swim around them.
If you see a marine animal in distress or injured, do not approach. Report it to NPWS on 1300 0PARKS (1300 072 757) or ORRCA on 02 9415 3333.
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