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Working in the Maldives often allows us to witness some amazing sights, however sometimes we encounter things which are less amazing. Last week whilst on a full day dive trip Noonu Atoll, Mike discovered a small Hawksbill Turtle in need of help.

The turtle had a rope tied around its body that was limiting its growth and its ability to swim. This obviously intentional and cruel act was clearly causing the turtle a lot of discomfort, and would most likely have proved fatal if Mike and his divers hadn’t been on hand to intervene.

Fortunately for the Hawksbill, Mike, together with Alexander Brunner, were able to remove the rope, and although it was clear the turtle was weak, and would most likely have a deformed shell for the remainder of its life, she was able to swim off again looking a lot happier moving around in the water.

It is unclear what the person who tied the rope was trying to achieve, it is possible that they were trying to stop the turtle from growing as there is an increasing illegal demand for Sea Turtles as pets, and here at Prodivers we understand that is only through education and raising awareness of these issues that we can help stop these practices.