Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — This Juvenile Hawksbill Turtle got a second chance at life, thanks to a concerned citizen that reported a floating device that had what looked like an entangled turtle. 

This is according to the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR).

The turtle response team, headed by DMWR wildlife biologist Mark McDonald along with assistant wildlife biologist Ailao Tualaulelei, immediately served the call. 

It was in Nu’uuli - in the Avau area - that the DMWR team found marine debris which appeared to be part of a Fish Aggregation Device (FAD). Its origin is unknown. 

A DMWR employee holding up a Fish Aggregation Device (FAD). The Dept. of Marine and Wildlife Resources reminds the public that marine debris affects marine life: from fish to turtles and coral reefs. A juvenile hawksbill turtle was entangled in this floating device earlier this week. [photo: DMWR]

Thankfully, the turtle response team was able to untangle the Juvenile Hawksbill Turtle and immediately release it back into the wild. 

The Dept. of Marine and Wildlife Resources reminds the public that "marine debris affects all animals - from fish to turtles to coral reefs."

The message is clear: "Let’s help reduce marine debris to prevent these types of incidents."

(According to the World Conservation Union, the Hawksbill Sea Turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle ‑ its shell is the primary source of tortoiseshell material used for decorative purposes. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species outlaws the capture and trade of hawksbill sea turtles and products derived from them).

For questions or concerns, please contact DMWR directly at 633-4456.