By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Rollover Pass, Gilchrist, TX.
On Friday, July 27, a family group of anglers were surf fishing near Rollover Pass when one of them, Andy Hyman of New Waverly TX, reeled in a Kemps Ridley sea turtle.
Arriving on the scene after spotting this group of people huddling around a sea turtle, who really didn’t know what to do, I relied on my previous seminar training to help them and the sea turtle.
The sea turtle had swallowed a large circle hook meant for a redfish. After attending a sea turtle seminar in Galveston last February I knew not to try and dislodge the hook but to have the fishing line cut near the turtles beak instead. This was mainly to avoid any further damage to the turtles throat. Then we put the turtle in a cooler of water keeping it shaded to protect the turtle and to keep its stress level to a minimum.
We immediately called the sea turtle rescue people for further instructions and they quickly dispatched an agent from Galveston to retrieve the Kemps Ridley. After an hours wait, checking on the turtle from time to time, Fisheries Biologist, Lyndsey Howell arrived to take charge and prepared to transport the sea turtle back to a special sea turtle facility on Galveston Island.
Lyndsey Howell, a Fisheries Biologist for the protected species branch, then explained that this was an immature Kemps Ridley, a most endangered species of the sea turtle family, and would be admitted into their Galveston medical facility to have the hook safely removed, after which they would place it in a recovery vat to watch its recuperation. Upon full recovery the turtle would then be tagged and released.
I wish to thank Andy Hyman, and his family group of anglers, for saving this most endangered species of sea turtle AND the great care they took for protecting the Kemps Ridley until the turtle recovery agent arrived. Many kudos to them all!
For more information on this turtle recovery program and what to do if you catch one, contact www.galveston.ssp.nmfs.gov, or call 409-771-2872
Andy Hyman of New Waverly, TX holding a Kemps Ridley sea turtle he caught in tyhe surf
Fisheries Biologist Lyndsey Howell picking up this Kemps Ridley for transport to the Galveston Turtle Recovery unit-
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