CLEARWATER, Florida — The crew of the charter boat, Double Eagle 2, out of Clearwater Beach showed incredible compassion on Monday when they rescued a rare marine reptile in distress.
About 14 miles offshore, Capt. Erik Larson and his team spotted a crab trap ball bobbing in the distance.
“We pick up loose balloons out here. Loose crab trap floats, we do that pretty regularly,” Larson said.
But this time – as they got closer – a rare Leatherback sea turtle came into view.
“That’s when we approached it and decided we really needed to help it,” he said. “I thought it was a really big Leatherback and it looked extremely exhausted.”
Without hesitation, crew member Shawn Flower grabbed a knife and jumped into the water. For the next two minutes, he tread water as he cut the giant turtle free.
“Well, there was no way of getting that rope off of him without somebody physically getting in there and cutting it off,” Flower said. “I mean it was wrapped around several times. And knotted around him. So, without going in there and physically cutting it off there was no way that turtle would have survived.”
Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles on the planet. They can grow to be about 6 feet long and weigh close to a ton.
Just seeing one, even for those who spend their days out on the water — is a rarity.
“Maybe every three or four years you might see one or two of them,” Larson said. “We see a lot of turtles, but we don’t see a lot of leather backs around here. They’re an amazing animal.”
Flower was able to cut the rope, which had coiled around the giant reptile’s neck and flippers. Then, to the applause of those aboard the fishing boat, the grateful giant swam away.
“Well, all the time we spend out here, not being able to see one like that, we don’t see them too often, I guess any animal that is in distress or need of help, you know happen to be in the right place at the right time to do that,” Flower said.
“And it was great to see him swim away as fast as he did as well,” Larson added.
Leatherback sea turtles are considered a vulnerable species. By some estimates, there are only about 100,000 of them left.
That makes Monday’s rescue not only heartwarming – but critically important.