A Loggerhead sea turtle in New Jersey showed its tenacity and resilience by coming out alive after many obstacles stacked against it. When there is a strong will to live, life-threatening circumstances do not have to end in a tragedy.
In a series of unfortunate events, this turtle was smacked by a boat propeller and had his front flipper bitten off by a shark. While attempting to recover from the forceful wounds, another shark attacked the turtle. The turtle has a long-life line as two fishermen were able to come to his rescue, saving him from a bleak situation.
The fishermen called for assistance from the Sea Turtle Recovery group. Their mission is to rescue and rehabilitate turtles before they can return safely to their habitats.
The turtle was named Titan and he was one of the eight turtles that made its way back to the sea after the proper care and treatment.
Brandi Biehl, a co-executive officer of Sea Turtle Recovery, said: “To see Titan go back into the ocean after being hit by a boat, bitten by a shark, and fighting off another shark is just amazing. There truly is no tougher turtle in the world than him.”
Some of the other turtles didn’t have the same success story, and they faced a condition called “cold stunning” which is the shutdown of their organs due to being exposed to cold waters for an extended period of time. Due to unpleasant water conditions, they developed illnesses and had injuries from being beaten by the boats.
Fortunately, Titan lives on for his other friends that didn’t make it. He will continue to swim in the deep waters dodging many more sharks and boats.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/science-sharks-new-jersey-fish-oceans-f03fcc245b65e6fc5c6ace2577a14bcc