Two close friends decided to go kayaking off the coast of Gran Canaria, Spain. It was a much-needed adventure, but when they spotted a strange creature approaching the,m they were frozen with fear. It did not resemble any sea creature that they knew of. It was approaching their kayak, and they needed to get away now. They could not identify this mysterious creature, but they would be stunned once they learned the truth, they would be stunned.

Mysterious Creature

A diverse range of aquatic life can be found along the picturesque coast of Grand Canaria. Divers and snorkelers can get up close and personal with the stunning coral reefs and their fauna. The ecosystem of the reef is in a dynamic equilibrium, and each component of the food chain has a role to play. When the equilibrium is thrown off, though, the results can be disastrous.

A Balancing Act 

Seeing this delicate and gorgeous ecosystem on your own while diving or kayaking is a fantastic opportunity to understand it. Scuba diving is also a wonderful experience that you will remember for the rest of your existence. It is an adventure every person needs to embark on at least once in their lives. Throughout his trip, this kayaker had a unique experience when he noticed something peculiar in the ocean…

Adventure Is Out There 

While nothing compares to the kayaker who got hit in the face with an octopus by a seal, we need to acknowledge that this pair of kayakers faced a much more hazardous day in Gran Canaria, which was not only terrifying but turned out to be a rescue operation!

Unique Stories

While on their excursion, two kayakers were having a wonderful time when they noticed something coming towards them&#8230; The two got increasingly perplexed as the thing approached the kayaks. It had an unusual color for a dolphin and a distinctive shape. But suddenly, the kayakers noticed that something was amiss!

An Odd Experience 

The kayakers were very knowledgeable about the local marine species, but this creature didn&#8217;t fit any of their classifications. The animal could be seen just above the water from a few feet away. It had a dark red hue to it. Were they on the verge of discovering a new species?

A New Species? 

They saw that the creature didn&#8217;t appear to be moving like any other marine animal they&#8217;d seen before as it drifted closer. It was ebbing and flowing with the current, but it appeared to be battling against it. Something enormous followed behind it, catching the sunlight from the surface and glistening in the water. What could it possibly be?

What Could It Be? 

They put down their paddles and bent over to get a better view of the sluggish creature. What they saw, though, caused them to broaden their eyes in surprise. The pair understood they had to move swiftly because the bizarre creature was covered by a mass encircling it. It would boil down to a life or death situation.

Life Or Death

It was becoming painfully obvious that the thing, whatever it was, required assistance. It was fortunate in that it knew exactly which kayaks to approach. That&#8217;s when the men understood the murky mass following behind it was far more hazardous than they had assumed, and it wasn&#8217;t even a part of the animal. They understood that they needed to step in and help.

Something Was Following It

The once delicate animal appeared to be deliberately pursuing the kayaking couple, which is quite uncommon for any animal of any kind. It was an effort that would have killed a regular living thing, but it continued on because it was desperate. Its decision would affect the rest of its life.

It Needed Help

Fighting against the unforgiving ocean and everything that the sea has thrown its way, the creature gave up its fight, unable to fight any longer. In a last-ditch attempt to help one of the men leaped out of the kayak and swam the short distance to the mysterious mass. This had now become a rescue mission. It wasn’t without danger, the man after all still didn’t know exactly what it was he was trying to save!

Giving Up

He wrapped his hands around the creature’s smooth back and began to pull. It was bigger than he had thought and the portion that was not part of the living being pulled heavily in resistance. He treaded water furiously, just as the creature had been doing for no one knows how long. But he was determined to pull the creature back to the kayak. He knew full well that his furious splashing was drawing attention, and who knew what other dangerous animals may be lurking close-by ready to take a bite?

A Dangerous Action

The other kayaker had now gotten into a position where he could scoop the creature out of the water and only hoped he wouldn’t get bitten whilst trying to help. They finally had a chance to look a what the mysterious animal was, and when he realized what he was holding his heart went out to the poor creature that had been struggling along for so long. This is definitely a moment he’ll tell his grandkids as a bedtime story!

Helping As A Team

Nearly losing his grip on the slippery creature he saw immediately what the problem was. It was heavy but very hard and smooth. As soon as he had a firm grip he hoisted the animal into the boat and it stopped wriggling. They both knew exactly what it was now. Hidden in a disguise of plastic bags, shredded, tangled and wrapped around it, but it was undeniable.

Disguised

The exhausted mysterious animal was a rather tired sea turtle. There was still a huge problem looming. You see, the kayaker had to struggle for a while because his rescue mission was far from being over. After he had spent a moment or two assessing just how to disentangle the suddenly still creature from its bonds the rescuer did something unexpected.

The Biggest Problem

Somehow the turtle knew it needed help that no one else could give it and that it had come to the right place. The only people that could save it now from a watery grave, the men got to work while the turtle lay still.

We Did It, We Must Fix It

There are many dangers in the sea, but sea turtles actually have very few natural predators once they have reached a decent size. It’s mostly only sharks and killer whales that can take on the hard shell of a sea turtle. Still, there is one predator that has started preying on these graceful and endangered creatures.

Not Many Preditors

The turtle had the misfortune of swimming through a net of plastic. That was the strange mass that had been trailing behind it and hindering it. The mass of plastic weighed it down and entangled its head and legs. It made swimming nearly impossible and forced the turtle to come to one of the greatest enemies of all – people.

The Most Common Waste

One Kayaker pulled out a knife that he luckily had on him and began the delicate process of untangling the plastic from around the animal. It was only a few single strands that had tethered around its neck and under its arms. But off of those few pieces hung heavy huge clumps trailing meters behind the animal. Freeing the turtle didn’t take too long and the unnamed man smiled while he helped.

Strong Little Pieces

After inspecting the turtle a few times and turning it this way and that, he was satisfied that he had gotten every last scrap and nothing was embedded in any folds of skin, the kayaker gave the cooperative turtle a kiss on the head before lowering it back into the ocean. News of the rescue made its rounds on the internet and many users expressed and shared gratitude and praise. A reader wrote: “God bless that angel. I’m sure if that sea turtle could talk, he would have kissed him right back and thanked him for his kindness.”

All Clear

The Weather Channel shared the incredible video of the kayakers rescuing the poor turtle on its Facebook page. Since then, it has garnered more than 13 million views. And the video served as yet another warning to humans to be more careful about where they leave their trash. It also signals a much larger problem in society.

Going Viral

The production of plastic took off in the 1950s and was hailed as an inexpensive and convenient alternative for packaging and storage. Since then, estimates put the amount we’ve produced at around 9.2 billion tons. Unfortunately, a staggering 6.9 billion tons of all plastic produced has become waste. Scientists were horrified to discover that between 5.3 million and 14 million tonnes make its way into our oceans each year.

When It All Began

Even more troubling news is that it’s unclear just how long it will take for the plastic waste to completely biodegrade. Scientists estimate a range from 450 years to, possibly, never. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by ocean plastic. Some are entangled in abandoned fishing nets or discarded six-pack rings, but many more are harmed by ingesting microplastics – pieces of plastic smaller than one-fifth of an inch across.

Maybe Forever

Are you ready to make just a few small adjustments to your everyday life to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the oceans? Take a reusable bag with you to the grocery store. It’s estimated that the US alone accounts for 100 billion disposable plastic bags each year. By reusing your shopping bag, this amount could decrease significantly!

Be The Change

Another painless way to reduce plastic waste is to skip straws. Americans throw away 500 million plastic single-use straws every day. That amounts to about 1.5 per person. Buy stainless steel reusable straws or paper straws – the environment will thank you for it! Lastly, avoid products that contain microbeads and search for natural alternatives. These microbeads make their way into the ocean and get ingested by virtually all marine animals.

Seriously! Straws!

Sea turtles are becoming increasingly at risk of endangerment and are less frequently seen in their natural habitat as a result of pollution. Plastic bags and waste items are often mistaken by the age-old ocean inhabitants, jellyfish, their staple food. So, if you would untangle a turtle in the ocean then let’s stop putting plastic there too. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Kayaker's Sharp Eye Gives Distressed Turtle Second Chance