ENVIRONMENT
The
RIGHT CALL When concerned bystanders noticed a turtle in the surf at La Mercy on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, they called Station 41 (Ballito) to assist. While the outcome may not have been the desired one, valuable lessons regarding the fragility of our oceans’ creatures were highlighted, writes Cherelle Leong
I
t was mid-afternoon on Sunday 18 April 2021, when Station 41 (Ballito) station commander Quentin Power received a call from concerned members of the public. They were on the beach at La Mercy and had spotted what appeared to be a turtle floundering in the backline of the surf. Two crew were immediately dispatched to determine whether the turtle was in fact in need of assistance and not just resting. While the Sea Rescue crew were mobilising, a kite surfer made the decision to assist and was able to bring the turtle through the surf onto the beach where it could rest. When the crew arrived, they made a preliminary assessment of the turtle’s condition. The bystanders had been right to make the call, as the turtle appeared to be very weak. There were quite a number of bite marks on her shell as well as several soft spots under her shell, indicating a possible infection. Her head and shell were 18 |
SEA RESCUE SPRING 2021
covered in barnacles, indicating that she had probably been floating on the surface for some time, unable to dive for food. STRANDING NETWORK Sea Rescue Ballito is part of the stranding network that assists KZN Wildlife, uShaka Sea World Aquarium and the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) with distressed animals that wash up on the KwaZulu-Natal shoreline. In recent months they’ve assisted with four seals and three turtles, of
