The young sea creature was discovered by lifeguards on the sands of Kalim Beach, just north of Patong yesterday morning. The turtle has become entrapped in the netting in amongst a variety of other debris.
Lifeguards from Patong Surf Life Saving Club managed to cut the fishing net away in order to free the turtle successfully before alerting officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).
DMCR officials then visited the scene and took the young turtle to the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center at Cape Panwa where it will undergo rehabilitation before being released back into the sea. There was no mention as to the gender, age or weight of the turtle in official reports.
This latest addition is the third turtle that has been taken in by the rescue centre following two similar situations in less than a week; last Saturday (June 8) two hawksbill sea turtles were rescued after becoming tangled in discarded fishing nets at Mai Khao Beach, one of whom was released back into the water and one of whom was taken into care for rehabilitation by DMCR officials at the Cape Panwa facility.
Then on Tuesday (June 11) another young hawksbill turtle was found washed ashore south of Patong with part of its flipper amputated after being caught in a discarded fishing net. The wounded turtle was taken in by officials from the Cape Panwa facility where it continues to receive care.
Prior to this, on June 5, DMCR officials discovered the remains of a heavily decomposed adult green turtle at Nai Harn Beach which they buried at the site.
The turtle had washed ashore and, although no external wounds were observed, the internal organs were too decomposed to ascertain the cause of death, the DMCR explained in its report.
This incident, as well as the three recent cases of turtles being washed ashore in a state of injury and distress, highlights ongoing concerns about marine life and the health of coastal ecosystems in the region.