Durban — A little green turtle with barnacles, dehydration, gas trapped in her intestinal tract and an infection was admitted to the South African Association for Marine Biological Research’s (Saambr) sea turtle hospital at uShaka Sea World.
The young turtle is named Ohana, which means family in the Hawaiian language, and was noticed by an observant member of the public and was rescued in Doonside, eManzimtoti, south of Durban.
Saambr’s Ann Kunz said Ohana appeared very weak and carried quite a lot of goose barnacles on her shell. Barnacles often hitch a free ride on sea turtles and vessels, but these can weigh down small turtles and often indicate that the turtle might be health compromised.
Kunz said that eThekwini Municipality law enforcement officers helped get Ohana admitted to the Saambr Sea Turtle Hospital at uShaka Sea World.
“Diagnostics revealed dehydration, gas trapped in her intestinal tract (as can be seen on the X-ray and could be indicative of a plastic obstruction in the gut) as well as an infection (reactive white cells in her blood smear),” Kunz said.
“Her treatment thus far has included supportive fluids as well as antibiotics and we are keeping a close eye on her gut movement. She is receiving a lot of TLC from the turtle rehabilitation team and seems to have turned a corner and is starting to look stronger.”
Kunz said that like her name, Ohana will be part of the turtle family at Saambr during her recovery and while they get her ready for release.
She is estimated to be about 18 months old and she most likely hatched on one of the islands in the Mozambique Channel.
Saambr’s lead quarantine aquarist, Malini Pather, said: “Although I fall in love with each and every turtle that is brought into our care, some turtles manage to creep a little deeper into my heart and Ohana is one of them.”
Kunz added that green turtles are widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical ocean waters but are under threat because of the harvesting of eggs, being caught in ghost-fishing gear and loss of nesting beach sites.
Daily News