Malaysian divers rescue two baby tortoises trapped in abandoned fishing nets near Pulau Payar, highlighting threats of marine waste
TWO BABY turtles trapped in discarded fishing nets near Pulau Payar, Kedah, were rescued by a Malaysian diver and two diving instructors in a timely effort to save the marine animals.
Marine debris, particularly abandoned fishing gear, remains one of the biggest threats to ocean wildlife, with sea turtles and other marine animals often becoming trapped in discarded nets or mistaking plastic waste for food.
Dolphins, turtles, seabirds and even large marine mammals such as sperm whales have been reported to die after becoming entangled in or ingesting ocean waste.
Recently, Malaysian diver @zamir_zaki came across two baby turtles struggling in abandoned fishing nets while returning from a scuba discovery activity near Pulau Payar.
The divers noticed discarded fishing nets, ropes, poles and other rubbish floating in the sea before spotting the trapped tortoises.
Sharing the experience on his Threads account, the authordescribed the rescue as his “Steve Irwin moment”, referring to the late Australian wildlife conservationist and television personality popularly known as the “Crocodile Hunter”.
In his post, he wrote:
“Yesterday, while we were on our way back from our scuba discovery activity with Nudi Dive Center near Pulau Payar, Kedah, we noticed rough waters around a floating fishing net.
“At first, we thought it was just fish, but when we got closer, we realised there were two turtles trapped in the net.”
The divers then borrowed a knife and scissors from a nearby fishing boat before returning to the location to carry out the rescue.
“We went to a nearby fishing boat to borrow a knife and scissors before returning to the spot for a rescue mission. Alhamdulillah, the two turtles were successfully saved and released back into the sea,” he said.
In a video shared on his account, the diver, wearing a red flotation vest, was seen carefully cutting away the ropes wrapped around the baby turtles before releasing them back into the water.
The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by abandoned fishing gear and marine litter, while highlighting how individual efforts can help protect vulnerable wildlife and preserve ocean ecosystems.
