SEA TURTLE HUGS SURFER TO SAY THANK YOU AFTER BEING CUT FREE FROM OLD FISHING NETS

Puerto Rican kite surfer who saved a turtle from fishing nets was rewarded for his actions with a hug from the endangered sea creature. 

 

The underwater rescue and touching encounter with the turtle afterwards was filmed on a GoPro camera at the start of the year by two friends who were spear fishing off the Mexican coast. 

 

Photo - After being freed the turtle started to swim away, but then stopped, turned, and swam toward his savior expressing gratitude, and allowing the surfer to hug him.

 

When kitesurfer Cameron Dietrich and Colin Sutton spotted the distressed sea turtle they quickly dived in the ocean to try to rescue it.

 

Using a dive knife, Dietrich carefully cut away the tangle of rope and netting that had wrapped itself around a front fin, while Sutton helped the turtle to float.   Once it had been freed the turtle started to swim off into the clear blue waters, but in an unexpected move it slowly circled back to the friends. 

 

The turtle swam over to Dietrich, stopping with its nose just inches from his face and letting the surfer gently hold it, as if to say thanks.   The pair stayed close together for a few moments, and slowly drifted through the ocean with the turtle staying between Dietrich and the surface.  Since the video was uploaded on YouTube earlier this month it has been viewed more than 1.4 million times.
 

Read more and see additional pictures and video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2696335/Tender-moment-sea-turtle-hugs-surfer-say-thank-cut-free-old-fishing-nets.html

 

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