Written Monday 11th January: Turtle rescue

Every morning on Tern Island, before starting work at 8.30am, one person has to do the entrapment walk. This involves walking round the perimeter of the island looking for any creatures that may have become trapped during the night, and releasing them. The island is surrounded on three sides by a seawall which has seen better days and is now gently rusting into the ocean. In some places the seawall has large holes in it and waves wash through them and collect in large pools on the inner side. Sometimes the waves also wash small turtles through the holes, which become trapped in the pools and have to be rescued. Today was my entrapment walk day and I found two turtles doing lengths up and down the pool, unable to get out. Time for some turtle catchin'!


The seawall- treacherous for turtles.

Waves push small turtles through the gaps.


How to catch a turtle:

1. Herd the turtle to one end of the pool.

2. Hook the turtle with a net and drag it up onto the sand.

3. Hold the turtle firmly by the sides of its shell. The turtle will smack you repeatedly on the arms with its flippers, no matter how often you tell it you are trying to help it.

4. Release the turtle through a hole in the seawall.


Melinda demonstrates the correct way to rescue a turtle:






How not to catch a turtle:

1. Herd the turtle to one end of the pool.

2. Try to hook the turtle with the net but fail and watch it dart to the other end.

3. Trudge down to the other end and repeat step 2.

4. Once again try to herd the turtle but this time fall into the pool up to your waist and flounder around a bit.

5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 in random order for about ten minutes whilst your colleagues stand by cackling and shouting helpful advice.

6. Pete mutters "Alright then, we haven't got all day," and takes over.

7. Pete hands over the turtle and, burning with shame, you release it through a hole in the seawall.

Turtles are slippery little suckers, and fast too, especially when they are being pursued by some giant monkey with a net, so what I did was pretty much the second version. I could protest that it was my first time catching a turtle, but seconds later Sarah caught the other turtle with no difficulty at all. So I guess the turtle catching dunce's cap goes to me.

These turtles did not need to be rescued.