Why NOT to leave mooring ropes with no bouy

[tridacna]

I dived the Benwood off the keys a few weeks ago. This was the sight that I found at the end of the dive. The turtle was very big. Can't say how big for sure but I was told that it was a regular visitor to the wreck. Really sad.

[Cheekymonkey]

that sucks... cut him out and that will teach the people who's mooring it is a lesson

[AbyssalPlains]

That's shocking. I just got back from a trip to the keys where my girlfriend and I were diving the Benwood twice. I'm confused - I thought it is illegal to use anything but the existing moorings? Also, why would anyone use a mooring without a buoy in the first place? I couldn't tell from the picture whether the turtle got entrapped in the line or what exactly happened?

[tridacna]

It appears as if the two rope loops were old mooring tie off lines. Basically you attach an additional tie off rope with a buoy to the loop.

The turtle must have been grazing algae or something else off the structure and the rope got tangles around its neck. There is a STRONG current there. The rest is easy to deduce.

[CheddarChick]

Poor thing....

[WVDiver]

That's too bad. I was there just about a week ago and no one had metioned that this had happened. Tragic.