Many of you (actually thousands on social media) have heard of the dramatic turtle rescue by Doug Frazer and the crew of OxoMoxo during the Vic-Maui Race. Without a doubt, the rescue and social media presence of this rescue will have lasting, important effects far beyond the race results.
More and more sailors come back from the Pacific Ocean and other waterways shaking their heads at the plastic in our oceans. Back downs are common. But nothing brings home how bad things are quite like a peaceful, timeless, blameless animal caught up in our mess.
Frazer, a former division 1 water polo player and a California state lifeguard, didn’t hesitate in deciding to try to rescue the turtle. Here’s how it went down, according to the man himself:
I jumped in without hesitation and then remembered that the favorite dinner for tiger sharks is turtle! I thought the poor little beggar was dead but he moved and took a breath when I touched him. The guys kept the boat hove-to until I could drag the whole mess to the stern ladder. As they were pulling him to the boat he swung towards my tender white love handle with his beak open and looking to defend himself from old white men. Luckily he fell off and swam away before he got his pound of flesh. It was really fun to get in the water. The derelict fishing gear has its own habitat of small fish, invertebrates and critters. I believe that this actually attracts other larger animals that may become entangled.
I feel that most of the large trash we saw was fish nets, ropes and fish tote baskets. I believe the only cure for this is to either pass the cost of clean up to the consumer or may require boats to bring as much net home as they take offshore. If they lose some, then they should go pick some up. Just a thought.
Here’s the dive, and a few photos from the rescue:
Click to enlarge.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.