Turtle recall for HMS Enterprise as she rescues endangered animals

via JC’s Naval, Marine and Military http://ift.tt/1ENNo5u

by rnn@codestorm.co.uk(Royal Navy News) via Royal Navy News
AB Melissa Minion holds a flapping turtle as her shipmate LWtr Lorissa Seville cuts it free from a snare. The crew of survey ship HMS Enterprise came across the trapped endangered reptile while on their way to the Horn of Africa. Lookouts on the bridge of the Plymouth-based ship identified the turtle struggling in a net and CO Cdr Mark Vartan recognised it as a turtle snare. “The floatation device neatly doubles up as a feed tube to lure in unsuspecting animals which are then netted, keeping them alive long enough to be picked up by fishermen who then sell them on to the lucrative food and medicine markets,” he said. Determined to free the magnificent reptile, HMS Enterprise’s speedboat was launched under the command of Lt Wendy Hems and the turtle was freed. One of the turtles trapped in a snare Minutes later the team discovered two more trapped turtles. Once again HMS Enterprise’s very own turtle ninjas managed to free the trapped reptiles and recover the net, removing the danger to any other turtles in the area. LWtr Seville said: “It was amazing. This is by far the strangest thing that I have had to do during my time in the Royal Navy, but it was also one of the most rewarding. It just goes to show that you never know what will happen next in this job. My gran couldn’t believe it when I told her what I had been up to!” HMS Enterprise has been carrying out survey operations in the Gulf of Oman.

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