Royal Navy: HMS Middleton bumps into turtle while carrying out mine disposal training in the Middle East

HMS Middleton was completing mine disposal training in the Middle East when the ship’s camera spotted something unusual.

The Hunt-class mine counter measures vessel ran into a Hawksbill Turtle during the exercises.

The sea creature looked perplexed in a picture shared on social media. HMS Middleton’s X account said: “Sorry old chap! Bumping into a Hawksbill Turtle while conducting Mine Disposal Training and keeping our skills ready. Our teams use the Seafox Mine Disposal System to survey the seabed and to find and identify sea mines.”

HMS Middleton’s crew have been sharpening up their skills in the Middle East, training alongside the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. Divers worked to see how other naval forces deal with mine clearance while stationed alongside Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia.

They showcased their skills during an exercise earlier this month. The mine-warfare team hauled a 500kg exercise mine out of the sea and on board the ship. This was conducted in the Arabian Gulf during the early hours, making conditions more challenging.