Florida Volunteers Rescue 59 Sea Turtles From Fishing Pier

When a 172-pound loggerhead sea turtle named Bowser got snagged on a fishing line, Scott and Cheri Dexter didn't panic. They grabbed their custom hoist and rallied nearby fishermen to help pull him to safety.

This rescue was the 26th of the year at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier, the longest in Florida. The volunteer team performs these dramatic saves so often that they now run like clockwork.

The Dexters lead a crew of 26 certified volunteers who staff the pier during morning and evening hours when sea turtles are most active. When a turtle gets hooked, they spring into action with specialized equipment Scott designed himself.

The rescue process is precise. Volunteers work with the angler to keep the line tight, guide the turtle into a five-foot round net, then hoist it 35 feet up and over the pier railing. Within 25 minutes, they had Bowser loaded onto a UTV and headed to a rehab facility.

Bowser fought the entire way, thrashing and wriggling to escape. Cheri smiled at his struggle because lethargic turtles usually signal serious problems.

Navarre Beach faces a unique challenge as home to Florida's longest fishing pier. Between 2000 and 2022, this single county accounted for 56 percent of all fishing pier turtle entanglements on Florida's Gulf Coast.

Most entangled turtles are loggerheads or green sea turtles, both endangered species. They get hooked either by eating bait or swimming past fishing lines during nesting season from May to October.

The Ripple Effect

The volunteer network's impact reaches far beyond individual rescues. Research shows that 85 percent of rescued turtles are successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild. Only 6 percent don't survive their injuries.

Last year's 59 rescues represent 59 endangered animals returned to help rebuild struggling populations. This year's count already sits at 27 with peak turtle season still ahead.

The team's success proves that conservation and recreation can coexist. Anglers now help with rescues, and the pier community has embraced their role as turtle guardians.

Every rescue adds another survivor to species that desperately need every individual to recover. The Dexters and their volunteers turn potential tragedies into second chances, one hoisted turtle at a time.