Kayaking trips are always fun!
Even if you’re not kayaking, there are endless entertaining activities to enjoy, such as soaking up the scenery, exploring nature, and stumbling upon wildlife you have never seen before.
Carolina Diz and her partner, Brittany, recently decided to take one such trip to Central Missouri. Little did they know their trip was about to turn into a real life-saving experience.
It all started with a strange-looking wooden box buried in a muddy shore…
What Is It
Carolina and her partner spotted the box that was half-buried in the mud of the Missouri lake and it immediately sparked their curiosity. They decided to take a closer look, so they slowly approached the box.
Then, they saw something moving inside.
“Oh, it’s moving”, she said.
The kayakers immediately knew something was wrong. The movement was made by a mysterious creature that was all covered in mud. It was quite tricky to identify it, but the couple was patient.
Then, just a few moments later, Carolina took a pretty good guess and she was right: it was a turtle!
She was puzzled by how this muddy slowpoke ended up in the box. The animal was just too big to fit through the opening, which made Carolina believe he ended up in the box when the water level was high.
“OK, he’s too big to fit through that opening, which means he must have gotten in when the water was still high, and now he’s stuck,” Carolina told The Dodo.
Working as a media producer for years, Carolina has learned a lot of useful information about turtles. That’s why she knew this situation was far from ideal, as the water level was dangerously low for the animal.
On top of everything, the cold weather was affecting the turtle’s well-being and he needed to be in the water as soon as possible.
“I’ve worked on many turtle videos, so I knew that turtles need to be in water to survive through the winter,” Carolina added.
Positive Outcome
Carolina and Brittany quickly came up with a plan. Instead of trying to move the box that was too heavy, they made use of their kayak paddle. The couple dipped the paddle into the mud and slowly picked up the animal.
Then came another shock!
Right next to the turtle they were trying to save was – another turtle… and another… and another after that!
The kayakers saved four turtles in total and transported them to the water’s edge, which made this entire rescue even more rewarding.
Slowly but instinctively, the turtles immediately went into the water. It was so satisfying to watch them go into their natural habitat, finally freeing themselves from the ordeal.
“It was amazing to see that they all instinctively knew to go straight back into the lake,” Carolina concluded.
Thanks to Carolina and Brittany, these four creatures now have a new beginning – and a new chance at life!