An eagle-eyed traveler dramatically rescued a turtle stranded in mud and released it back into water before watching it happily swim away.
Rob Morris, 38, was crabbing in the Exmouth Gulf of Western Australia on July 10 when he came across the dying sea turtle, caught in the thick of the mudflats.
It had come in on the high tide and was searching for food but couldn’t make it back in time as the water receded.
Knowing he had to act right away, Rob stopped what he was doing and ran the helpless animal back 500 meters to his truck, and drove around for 5 kilometers in search for water.
He finally came upon a tidal creek, and set the sea turtle free, assuredly saving its life.
Aussie Rob said: “When I spotted the turtle lying motionless in the hot sun I instantly knew it was in trouble and I had to get it back to deeper water quickly.
“As I watched it swim away I was filled with joy that I had given a second chance to an animal that statistically has only a 1 in 1,000 chance of reaching adulthood in the wild.
“After spending the previous two weeks snorkeling and freediving with these beautiful creatures on the nearby Ningaloo Reef I was elated to give back in some way.”
