Nanaimo rescues sea turtles

Members of HMCS Nanaimo rescue sea turtles entangled in a fishing buoy during Operation Caribbe. Photo by MARPAC Imaging Services

Executive Officer, HMCS Nanaimo ~

What could have been a fatal day for three sea turtles off the coast of Mexico took a turn for the better thanks to the crew of HMCS Nanaimo.

On Oct. 27, Nanaimo was patrolling off the coast of Mexico under Operation Caribbe, Canada’s support to the US-led counter-narcotics mission known as Operation Martillo. After days in 40-degree heat, Nanaimo had entered a monsoon trough that brought confused seas and heavy rains. Although the weather brought some relief with slightly cooler temperatures, it also brought limited visibility.

One sailor framed the local weather best when he remarked, “Humidity you can cut with a knife or torrential rain. Take your pick. You’re going to get wet.”

Late in the forenoon, the Chief Boatswain’s Mate and the Senior Electrician reported from the Sweep Deck a colourful marker floating in the water. Suspicious that it was a marker for packages of submerged drugs dumped or staged for later pick up, Nanaimo closed in for further inspection. The crew soon discovered it was not a marker for drugs but for fish, as it was attached to a trap of lashed-together plastic soda pop bottles with a net and fishhooks affixed to the bottom.

It was clear from the bridge-wing of the ship there were three sea turtles caught in the net. The Commanding Officer ordered a boat and crew to be lowered, and within minutes it was alongside the entangled turtles.

This task was more complex than one might think, as it was difficult to hold a rigid-hulled inflatable boat in position in a confused sea state. To make matters worse, the turtles were defensively attempting to bite hands and fingers that strayed too close, and the float was covered in rusty fish hooks. Rising to the challenge, the boat crew freed the turtles and brought the menacing float to the ship to prevent further mishap.

There were a lot of soaked sailors that day, as nearly the entire ship’s company lined the guard rails to watch the ordeal. Saving three sea turtles, an endangered species, had a major impact on the ship’s morale that lasted for days. It is amazing how the simplest acts of kindness and environmental stewardship can bring a ship’s company together.