Pattaya, Thailand – January 1, 2025
A large sea turtle narrowly escaped death on New Year’s Day after becoming severely entangled in a fishing net in the middle of Pattaya Bay.
At around 1:00 p.m., the Pattaya Marine Disaster Prevention Center received a report from a speedboat operator who spotted the distressed animal approximately 150 meters offshore Pattaya.
Rescue teams immediately deployed an inflatable boat to the scene. Upon arrival, they found a sizable sea turtle, estimated to be about 10 years old and weighing around 50 kilograms, thrashing desperately in the water. The fishing net was wrapped tightly around its body in multiple layers, severely restricting its movement.
The marine rescue team quickly lifted the turtle onto their boat and used knives to carefully cut away the entangling net. They also cleaned the animal by removing barnacles and other marine growth from its shell.
Once freed and tended to, the rescuers transported the turtle farther out to sea near a coral reef area, where it was safely released back into its natural habitat. The team expressed immense relief and joy at successfully saving the protected species, describing the operation as a meaningful way to start the new year.
Speaking to reporters, 28-year-old Peerasak Rattanliam, a marine disaster response officer with the Pattaya team and one of the rescuers involved, explained the urgent mission to The Pattaya News Team.
“We rushed out as soon as we got the call from the boat operator,” he said. “Seeing the turtle still alive when we arrived filled us with hope. If we’d been any later, it probably wouldn’t have survived.”
He added that Pattaya Bay and nearby Jomtien Beach are home to a significant population of sea turtles, which are frequently sighted surfacing in the area, as nearby Koh Khram is a nesting and safe location for them.
Sea turtles are a protected species in Thailand, and such rescues show ongoing threats from abandoned or active fishing gear in coastal waters.
