Volunteers Rescue 172-Pound Sea Turtle With 4 Hooks Embedded

When a massive loggerhead sea turtle got hooked near a Florida fishing pier on Sunday evening, eight volunteers knew exactly what to do. They grabbed a rope and started pulling, hoisting all 172 pounds of the thrashing turtle 35 feet into the air to save his life.

The turtle, later named Bowser by medical staff, had been foul-hooked in his left front flipper while swimming near Navarre Beach Fishing Pier. Scott and Cheri Dexter, volunteers with the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center, were already stationed on the pier as part of their regular evening patrol.

Within 25 minutes, the team had guided Bowser into a five-foot round net, hauled him over the railing using a specialized hoist Scott designed himself, and loaded him onto a UTV for transport to veterinary care. Bowser fought hard the entire time, which the Dexters saw as a positive sign of his strength.

This wasn't beginner's luck. Bowser was the 26th turtle rescue of 2026 from the pier, and just two days later, they saved number 27.

The Navarre Beach pier extends 1,545 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the longest fishing pier in Florida. That length also makes it prime territory for accidental turtle encounters during nesting season from May to October.

Scott Dexter leads a team of 26 certified volunteers who are trained by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct these rescues. Last year alone, they saved 59 turtles from the pier, mainly loggerheads and green sea turtles.

The Ripple Effect

The dedication of these Florida volunteers reflects a much larger success story. Between 2000 and 2022, 85% of turtles rescued from Gulf Coast piers were successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

All five sea turtle species found in the Gulf were once pushed to the brink of extinction by hunting, fishing nets, and beach development. Today, thanks to the Endangered Species Act and innovations like turtle excluder devices in fishing nets, these ancient creatures are fighting their way back.

Volunteers like the Dexters represent the front lines of this recovery. They staff the pier during morning and evening hours when turtles are most active, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Medical staff discovered that Bowser actually had four fishing hooks embedded in his body. He's now receiving the care he needs to join the thousands of other turtles who've been given a second chance at life.

Every rescue counts when you're saving a species, one 172-pound turtle at a time.