“[S]he swam right up to me”
By Ashley Ortiz
Published on July 24, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Brittany Ziegler was diving deep below the ocean’s surface off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, recently when something bright orange in the distance caught her attention. She was used to seeing uniquely colored sea creatures on her dives, but this differed in a way that made her stomach drop.
“That bright orange immediately caught my eye because it’s such a human color,” Ziegler told The Dodo. “It doesn’t belong underwater.”
Ziegler, an underwater livestreamer with DiveDiveLive, couldn’t tell what the pop of color was at first — but it seemed to be quickly moving towards her. Moments later, a green sea turtle appeared with an orange-and-white plastic tube seemingly tucked under her left fin.
“I realized it was attached to a sea turtle, and my heart just completely sank,” Ziegler said. “It was honestly really jarring.”
At some point along her journey, the turtle had become severely entangled in discarded fishing line and a plastic bobber. She was desperate for help and seemingly hurried towards Ziegler as soon as she saw her.
“The part that still sticks with me is that she swam right up to me,” Ziegler said. “It genuinely felt like she was asking for help.”
You can see that moment here:
@divediveliveWe found this sweet girl today wrapped up in fishing line. 💔🐢 I know a lot of people are probably wondering why we didn’t just cut her loose ourselves. The truth is, unless a sea turtle is in immediate danger of drowning, trying to free it yourself can actually make the situation worse. They panic, they dive, the line can tighten, and it’s really easy to accidentally cause more injuries. These turtles are endangered, and they deserve the best chance possible. So instead, we called the Maui Sea Turtle Rescue team with the Marine Institute. They answered right away, kept us updated through text messages, and let us know they found her. She’s now with the people who are trained to safely get her out of that mess, and I’m so incredibly relieved. Now I need your help. ❤️ First… this girl needs a name! Drop your best ideas in the comments. We’ll take the most-liked suggestions and pick one this weekend after she’s all freed up. Second… if you’ve ever watched our dives, smiled at a sea turtle, or just love these incredible animals as much as we do, please consider donating to the Marine Institute. The link is in our bio. These rescues happen because of people who volunteer their time, answer the phone when it rings, and spend their days protecting Hawaiʻi’s sea turtles. I seriously can’t wait to share the next update with you guys. I have a feeling she’s going to have one heck of a story… and a pretty awesome name too. 🥹🐢💙#seaturtle#wildlife#ocean#fyp♬ original sound – DiveDiveLIVE
Ziegler was overcome with sadness as she realized human pollution was the cause of the turtle’s situation. But the diver had no time to wallow — she had to focus on helping the turtle.
As much as Ziegler wanted to save the turtle herself, she knew she wouldn’t be able to do so safely. She was an experienced ocean conservationist but not a wildlife rescuer, and attempting to do so would risk both her and the turtle’s lives.
“[T]rying to rescue a sea turtle without training can accidentally cause even more injuries or even drown the turtle. Calling trained responders is one of the best ways we can actually help,” Ziegler said.
So, Ziegler hopped out of the water, documented the turtle’s location and took photos of the poor girl, then contacted Mau Ocean Center’s Marine Institute (MOC). Someone from MOC’s sea turtle rescue program answered Ziegler right away and responded to the scene as quickly as possible.
By the time MOC got there, Ziegler had already left the dive site. But the team of experts were able to easily find the turtle thanks to the pictures she’d taken — and they made sure she was included in every part of the mission, from beginning to end.
“[T]hey kept me updated through the entire rescue,” Ziegler said. “When they successfully freed her, they even told me I could name her.”
To decide on a name, Ziegler decided to create a poll on social media. Her followers had seen her initial encounter with the turtle, and she wanted to give them a chance to be a part of the story, too. Which ultimately worked out, as they all landed on the perfect name for the resilient creature.
“[W]e chose the name Kaipo, which means ‘sweetheart’ in Hawaiian,” Ziegler said.
You can see footage of Kaipo’s rescue here:
@divediveliveI know many of you asked why I didn’t cut the line myself. The answer is simple: the safest way to help an entangled sea turtle is to call trained professionals. What looked like a simple fishing line turned into two bobbers, five swivels, braided line, monofilament line, and injuries that had already begun to scar. Huge thank you to @The Marine Institute for responding so quickly and for allowing us to share this rescue. All rescue footage in this video was provided by The Marine Institute. If you’re able, please consider supporting their nonprofit. Their work gives sea turtles like this a second chance. ❤️🐢 All of The Marine Institute sea turtle stranding response, rehabilitation, and research is authorized under USFWS and NOAA permits.#SeaTurtle#MarineInstitute#OceanConservation#WildlifeRescue#SaveTheTurtles♬ original sound – DiveDiveLIVE
Thanks to Ziegler’s quick thinking and MOC’s expert care, Kaipo was eventually freed from the fishing line and returned to the ocean unharmed. Despite the devastating circumstance, the sweet turtle now has a new lease on life, and Ziegler has a renewed sense of hope in her fellow humans.
“It reminded me that while humans created the problem, humans are also capable of incredible compassion,” Ziegler said. “There are people willing to drop everything, volunteer their time, risk their own safety, and dedicate their lives to protecting animals they’ll probably never see again. That’s a really beautiful thing.”
To help wildlife get the care they need, you can donate to Maui Ocean Center’s Marine Institute here.
To see more of Maui’s sea creatures, you can follow DiveDiveLive on YouTube, TikTok, Twitch and Instagram.