Sea Turtle Rescued From Abandoned 'Ghost Net' Snare

This sea turtle was caught in a ghost net in Puerto López, Ecuador. Ghost nets are no longer tended by fishermen, either because they were discarded or lost. As fish numbers decrease, fishermen have started using more nets to try to capture them. This, in turn, causes ghost net numbers to rise and trap more animals like this turtle.

A group of fishermen saw this turtle struggling in the net when they were returning to port. They stopped and took the turtle aboard. After cutting the turtle loose, they returned it to the ocean.