Bit on the Butt and Nearly Drowned — All Thanks To a Sea Turtle



A Russian tourist was recently bitten in the butt and nearly drowned after an attack by an aggressive sea turtle. Lidia Bazarova, 64, was swimming in the ocean near the popular Güzeolaba Resort in Antalya, Turkey, when she felt something grab her backside and try to drag her under. It turned out to be a loggerhead sea turtle, just 10-12 feet from the shore. You might have an image of a small turtle, but loggerheads can grow to weigh up to 375 pounds. Loggerheads prey on crabs, whelks, and other mollusks, crushing them with their powerful bill. Lidia said that at one point, the sea turtle released her, only to come back and bite her again, even harder. She isn’t sure how long the attack lasted, but was grateful that lifeguard Mustafa Sari spotted her in trouble and went to her rescue. The turtle released its grip on Lidia after being distracted by Sari, who managed to fight off the turtle, but not before getting a nasty bite in the shoulder himself. Lidia was bitten on her fingers, hips, legs and butt. While her injuries weren’t life-threatening, she says she may never go in the water again. Sea turtles are a danger and are known to be aggressively territorial. There have been 11 sea turtle attacks in that area in the past two weeks alone.