Rihiveli Maldives Resort team rescues sea turtle entangled in ghost net

On Thursday, the team at Rihiveli Maldives Resort has been involved in the rescue of a sea turtle that had become entangled in discarded items drifting in the ocean.

The Rihiveli team, out on the sea for a trip, spotted a turtle trapped in a floating ghost net (a lost or discarded fishing net drifting through the ocean). Once everyone had helped to lift the turtles out of the water, one of the staff members cut the turtle free. Although the turtle sustained some injuries, it was able to be released straight back into the ocean.

Ghost nets are one of the most prominent threats to sea turtles. Although they are illegal in the Maldives, they drift down from India and Sri Lanka during high tides and strong currents predominantly from January to March.

Ghost nets can entangle any sort of marine life such as rays, sharks, dolphins, whales, and turtles. Olive Ridley Sea turtles are often found entangled in ghost nets as they are an oceanic species therefore, they encounter them more often than coastal species such as the Hawksbill and Green Sea turtle.