A sea turtle rescue off Oman is picking up steam online after a video showed three men hauling a stranded loggerhead free from rocks as the tide rushed over its head.
On July 3, Oman-based influencer Abdul Hamid Al-Ansari shared an Instagram video of himself and two others saving a loggerhead sea turtle that had become wedged between jagged rocks on a seashore.
As they struggled to lift the turtle, the tide kept surging in and spilling over its head, putting it at risk of drowning. After several false starts, the three men managed to lift the turtle out of the cliff face and back onto the shore. As it returned to the ocean, Al-Ansari gently patted the top of its shell in “goodbye.”
The original video had about 800 views, but copies shared across Instagram and Facebook have racked up more than 50,000 views combined.
One Instagram user wrote: “That’s one lucky turtle right there!”
“Many blessings to them,” another person wrote on Facebook.
“This brought tears to my eyes,” another user said. “Well done guys!!! Thank you.”
Studies show only two loggerhead nesting populations have more than 10,000 females nesting each year: Peninsular Florida and the southeastern coast of Oman.
Of the seven species of sea turtles, loggerheads are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles in the world. The average adult loggerhead weighs between 113 and 181 kilograms.
In early June, four fishermen used their combined strength to lift an injured green sea turtle out of Florida waters. They later learned she weighed more than 136 kilograms.
Experts generally advise people to give wildlife plenty of space, especially sea turtles, nearly all of which are endangered. If you see a sea turtle in distress, call 1-800-SEATURTLE or use the NOAA Fisheries Stranding Contact Page to find a 24-hour hotline for your region.
In extreme life-and-death situations, wildlife authorities may ask people to step in on a sea turtle’s behalf. When reporting an injured or distressed sea turtle, follow the guidance provided by wildlife experts.
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