A massive sea turtle will keep riding the waves thanks to the efforts of one beachgoer.
The Pet Collective (@thepetcollective), a TikTok account with nearly 5 million followers, shared the turtle's ordeal in a post with more than 120,000 likes.
In the 38-second clip, the turtle is seen on its back with its flippers embedded in the sand. After gently helping unbury the creature's flippers, the beachgoer carefully flips the turtle on its belly and steps away. No small feat, as most sea turtles of this size weigh 200 to 300 pounds.
@thepetcollective This sea turtle rescue has us teary eyed! 💕🐢🥹 (VIA Brooke P.) #TurtleTok #Turtles #AnimalRescue #PetRescue #Conservation #OceanLife #SeaTurtles ♬ Glimpse of Us - Joji
The turtle appears to be no worse for the wear and makes its way back to the water on its own power, which is important for both hatchlings and potentially injured creatures.
"I'm so glad he let the turtle go to the water by himself instead of being pushed in like some people do," one person said. "Thank you for helping him."
"Grateful for kind people like this," another commenter wrote.
Sea turtles have been around as long as dinosaurs and are important for the health of our oceans, which help stabilize global temperatures and provide billions of people with food.
Sadly, according to the World Wildlife Fund, most species of the adorable creatures are now endangered, and human activities are greatly to blame.
Rising sea levels and an increase in extreme storms — both linked to pollution from dirty energy — are among the factors destroying their habitats, while warmer ocean temperatures have disrupted their breeding by affecting the ratio of female-to-male turtles.
Plastic production also creates habitat-disrupting pollution, negatively impacting sea turtles on more than one level. Nearly 2 million tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans annually, and the animals can die after mistaking items for food.
Any number of factors could have led to the stranding of this sea turtle, providing further inspiration to transition away from products that could harm the creatures. Luckily, this fortunate turtle ran into a human willing to lend a hand.
"God bless you. This makes life worthwhile!!!!" one TikToker wrote.
"Why can't people always be so kind? The world would be such a better place," another commenter said.
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