Our latest Video of the Week comes from our friends at the Olive Ridley Project who helped free two Turtles from entanglement in Ghost nets.
The Olive Ridley Project
The Olive Ridley Project was initiated in response to large numbers of Olive Ridleys turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea ) found entangled in fishing nets in the Maldives. This species of sea turtle is rarely observed in the Maldives; however, since 2011 marine biologists, dive masters and boat captains have recorded 47 olive ridleys entangled in fishing nets. The recorded entanglements have occurred through chance encounters suggesting the data only reflects a small proportion of the actual number of ghost net entrapments of Olive Ridleys in this region.
Since the inception of the Olive Ridley Project in July 2013 a further 38 olive ridleys have been found. Often turtles spend extended periods of time entangled in nets and their condition quickly deteriorates. Dehydration, amputations and deep lacerations are some of the injuries sustained. The risk of predation by opportunistic predators increases when entangled and defenceless and this brings with it further trauma to the turtles. Once found, their condition can be so severe that often they do not survive. Dedicated teams in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India are working towards rehabilitating injured turtles, but the problem continues.
Find out more about their great work at http://www.oliveridleyproject.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/OliveRidleyProject
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