Brittany Ziegler was diving deep below the ocean’s surface off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, recently when something bright orange in the distance caught her attention. She was used to seeing uniquely colored sea creatures on her dives, but this differed
in a way that made her stomach drop.
“That bright orange immediately caught my eye because it's such a human color,” Ziegler told The Dodo. “It doesn't belong underwater.”
Ziegler, an underwater livestreamer with DiveDiveLive, couldn’t tell what the pop of color was at first — but it seemed to be quickly moving towards her. Moments later, a green sea turtle appeared with an orange-and-white plastic tube seemingly tucked under her left fin.
“I realized it was attached to a sea turtle, and my heart just completely sank,” Ziegler said. “It was honestly really jarring.”
At some point along her journey, the turtle had become severely entangled in discarded fishing line and a plastic bobber. She was desperate for help and seemingly hurried towards Ziegler as soon as she saw her.
“The part that still sticks with me is that she swam right up to me,” Ziegler said. “It genuinely felt like she was asking for help.”
You can see that moment here:
Ziegler was overcome with sadness as she realized human pollution was the cause of the turtle’s situation. But the diver had no time to wallow — she had to focus on helping the turtle.
As much as Ziegler wanted to save the turtle herself, she knew she wouldn’t be able to do so safely. She was an experienced ocean conservationist but not a wildlife rescuer, and attempting to do so would risk both her and the turtle’s lives.
“[T]rying to rescue a sea turtle without training can accidentally cause even more injuries or even drown the turtle. Calling trained responders is one of the best ways we can actually help,” Ziegler said.
So, Ziegler hopped out of the water, documented the turtle’s location and took photos of the poor girl, then contacted Mau Ocean Center’s Marine Institute (MOC). Someone from MOC’s sea turtle rescue program answered Ziegler right away and responded to the scene as quickly as possible.
By the time MOC got there, Ziegler had already left the dive site. But the team of experts were able to easily find the turtle thanks to the pictures she’d taken — and they made sure she was included in every part of the mission, from beginning to end.
“[T]hey kept me updated through the entire rescue,” Ziegler said. “When they successfully freed her, they even told me I could name her.”
To decide on a name, Ziegler decided to create a poll on social media. Her followers had seen her initial encounter with the turtle, and she wanted to give them a chance to be a part of the story, too. Which ultimately worked out, as they all landed on the perfect name for the resilient creature.
“[W]e chose the name Kaipo, which means ‘sweetheart’ in Hawaiian,” Ziegler said.
You can see footage of Kaipo’s rescue here:
Thanks to Ziegler’s quick thinking and MOC's expert care, Kaipo was eventually freed from the fishing line and returned to the ocean unharmed. Despite the devastating circumstance, the sweet turtle now has a new lease on life, and Ziegler has a renewed sense of hope in her fellow humans.
“It reminded me that while humans created the problem, humans are also capable of incredible compassion,” Ziegler said. “There are people willing to drop everything, volunteer their time, risk their own safety, and dedicate their lives to protecting animals they'll probably never see again. That's a really beautiful thing.”
