Newsroom
A man out on a speedboat near the Akamas peninsula came to the rescue of a distressed loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) after spotting it tangled in a plastic bag and struggling to swim.
The dramatic moment, captured on video, shows the man leaning over the side of the boat to gently free the turtle, which appeared to be unable to dive or move properly due to the plastic wrapped around it. After carefully removing the bag, the turtle was released back into the sea, swimming away unharmed.
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Loggerhead turtles are a protected species and listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Plastic waste, like the bag that nearly killed the Akamas turtle, is one of the most common threats they face in the wild.
Discarded fishing gear is another major hazard. In many cases, turtles get trapped in nets or lines. To reduce such risks, some fisheries have begun using special devices in their nets that allow turtles to escape.
Loggerheads also suffer from habitat loss, particularly when nesting beaches are disturbed or lost due to development. On land and at sea, the species is under increasing pressure.
Because they travel thousands of kilometers across international waters, protecting them requires cooperation between countries. But local actions still matter.
“This turtle was lucky,” said a local marine biologist. “But many aren’t. Every piece of plastic removed from the sea is a life potentially saved.”
Cyprus is one of the key nesting sites for loggerheads in the Mediterranean, especially along the protected beaches of Lara and Akamas.
Authorities continue to urge boaters, fishers, and beachgoers to dispose of waste properly and report any injured or trapped marine animals.
As for the turtle in the video, it swam off free, a reminder that small actions can have a big impact.
