INTO THE BLUE

The 14 January 2021 was a momentous – and emotional – day for the group of volunteers and Aquarium Foundation staff who released a number of adult turtles and hatchlings that had been in their care. Cherelle Leong shares this wonderful story.

IMAGINE HAVING THE ABILITY, agility and instinct to be able to navigate the deep ocean currents and swim a distance of 2 839km in just 23 days. Then imagine getting tangled in fishing net, alongside a grumpy seal. Unable to swim or feed, you’re at the mercy of the waves until you wash up on shore. This is the story of Annie, a 65kg loggerhead turtle found on Noordhoek beach in July 2019 by a member of the public.

Sea Rescue Station 26 (Kommetjie) crew were able to cut her free and she was taken to the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation that oversees all turtle rescue, rehabilitation and releases. Annie was very weak and dehydrated, and did not eat for a full five months after her rescue. She also appeared to have gas trapped in her body that caused her to swim with her rear end up – earning her the nickname ‘Bubble Butt’ among Aquarium Foundation staff. Soon after Annie was moved into the Aquarium’s large I&J Ocean Exhibit she began feeding on her own again, igniting the hope that one day she’d be released back into the ocean.

On 14 January 2021, that dream became a reality. Thirty-eight nautical miles south of Hout Bay, the same Kommetjie crew who had cut her free on the beach were able to release her into the deep blue ocean. Without a moment’s hesitation, Annie disappeared into the depths, swimming at an estimated speed of five knots, and she hasn’t stopped since.

Before her release, Annie’s shell was fitted with a satellite transponder that allows the Aquarium Foundation to track her movements. That’s how we know that she initially swam north before circling around, heading southeast towards the warm Agulhas current. She has averaged a distance of 111km a day at an average speed of 4.6km/h. At this speed, working with the ocean currents she may soon be enjoying the warm waters off Mozambique.

Annie was one of 23 turtles released into the ocean on 14 January 2021. On release day, the Two Ocean’s Aquarium Education Foundation team was supported by two Hout Bay commercial fishing vessels from Hooked on Africa Fishing Charters, as well as crew and a Sea Rescue vessel from Station 8 (Hout Bay) and crew from Station 26 (Kommetjie). For the Sea Rescue crew it was an emotional moment seeing these incredible creatures being released into the ocean. Sea Rescue CEO Dr Cleeve Robertson was one of the photographers in the water who was able to capture some great images of the turtles as they dived away into their newfound freedom.

THE LOGGERHEAD AND THE LUNCH BOX

Alongside Annie, Olaf the hawksbill turtle, Roo the green turtle, and 19 loggerhead hatchlings were released. The largest remaining turtle was Luis, a male loggerhead weighing 101kg. Luis had been rescued near Hout Bay in May 2020. Although he was not dehydrated or particularly weak at the time, he had a 5cm hole in his shell that was badly infected. It is believed that the hole had resulted from gooseneck barnacles that had attached themselves and then burrowed down into his shell to form a colony. This burrowing resulted in an infection that further enlarged the hole to a depth of 6cm. The Aquarium Foundation rehabilitation team treated Luis with antibiotics. They also used raw honey to treat the wound topically – honey contains natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, and also supports the regrowth of healthy tissue.

Please call The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation on 083 300 1663 if you find stranded turtles on the beach.

The big challenge, however, was keeping the wound dry so that the topical treatment had time to do its work. Initially the team drained his tank and tried to keep him out of the water, but this proved to be very stressful for Luis. A suggestion was made to use a lunch box with a watertight lid to cover the wound. The lunch box was cut and sanded down to fit his shell. The area around the wound was also sanded for a snug fit. Once the lunch box was securely attached, it gave Luis the freedom to swim about and, when treatment was needed, the rehabilitation team could work on the wound and seal it up again to keep it dry. This worked very well, with just a few minor leaks, and the wound started healing much faster. By the end of 2020, the lunchbox was removed and Luis was deemed fit for release. As soon as he was in the ocean, Luis made a rapid escape southwest – the opposite direction from Annie’s route. The most recent updates (40 days after release) reveal that Annie and Luis have travelled just over 4 000km each. Annie is back in the Agulhas current and Luis is following the big Agulhas rings south and southwest of Cape Town.

It’ll be interesting to see where Annie and Luis go next.

‘Sea Rescue is about saving lives. To be able to extend that into marine conservation is a memorable experience that’s incredibly rewarding for the crew.’ Dr Cleeve Robertson