SeaWorld Orlando is urging fishermen to dispose of their hooks and line properly after its medical team operated on an endangered Green sea turtle that had swallowed two hooks.
The juvenile turtle, weighing in at around 11 pounds, was found by the Sea Turtle Preservation Society near Cape Canaveral in Florida and transported to SeaWorld where it underwent emergency surgery following X-rays.
Both fishing hooks were successfully removed — one from the turtle's oesophagus and the second from the cloaca.
This is the 59th turtle to be rescued by SeaWorld Orlando this year. It's reported to be doing well and the park says it intends to return the animal to the sea once it's made a full recovery.
SeaWorld is asking fishermen to use new 'circle' hooks, which are less likely to be swallowed by turtles than the traditional 'J"-shaoed variety, which can cause internal bleeding and suffocation if swallowed.
You can see a report on the procedure in the video below:
Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See our latest subscription offer.
Don't forget that PFK is now available to download on the iPad/iPhone.