Turtles swim to freedom

The uShaka Sea World team helped release 19 rehabilitated Loggerhead turtles just off the Durban coast.

On an early Thursday morning late in October a team of aquarists from uShaka Sea World in Durban and Two Oceans Aquarium headed 10 nautical miles out to sea off Durban into the Agulhas Currant with 19 young turtles on board.

These young turtles, all Loggerheads, had found themselves in trouble as they battled adverse sea conditions and currents and ended up in the cold Cape waters where they are unable to survive the icy temperatures. They were all found at different times and places on Cape beaches by members of the public who took them to the Two Oceans Aquarium where they were treated and nourished back to health.

Although they recovered well at Two Oceans Aquarium they needed to return home to the warmer waters of KZN as they are not designed to live in cold waters and need temperatures of around 22°C to survive.

During the first few years of their life young Loggerhead turtles survive by floating in the open ocean feeding off small jellies, by-the-wind-sailors, blue bottles, raft hydroids and other small creatures found on the ocean’s surface, and are well designed for life in the open ocean.

Perfect health

After arriving at King Shaka Airport north of Durban on Wednesday, October 27, they spent the night in the hospital at Sea World where staff made sure that the journey had not adversely effected them and that they were in perfect health ahead of their big day on Thursday, 28th.

Great care was taken by all staff  in ensuring these turtles were given a second chance and it was with great joy the staff bid them farewell and lowered them into the water and watched them swim away into the deep blue. – Copy and article courtesy of uShaka Sea World.