The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre, has released 12 of the 605 loggerhead turtle hatchlings that were stranded on Western Cape beaches in April this year.
Talitha Noble-Trull, Turtle Conservation Centre Manager, said “we have had a hectic year at the Turtle Conservation Centre with a record number of loggerhead turtle hatchlings stranding on Western Cape beaches. After many months of rehabilitation, it is incredibly special to be able to return healthy juveniles to the warm waters of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), close to the beaches that they hatched on.”
The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation has been collaborating closely with Upwell Turtles, a US-based international sea turtle conservation organisation, leading the “Lost Years Initiative” an international collaborative effort, to document and understand the movements and behaviour of early-stage sea turtles during their most enigmatic life history stages.
Staff from Upwell and the Turtle Conservation Centre tagged the turtles at the Two Oceans Aquarium.
The turtles were then transported to Durban.
From there, the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) assisted with the last leg of their journey to Sodwana Bay, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
An expert team made up of Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, SAAMBR, iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and Upwell representatives, escorted the 12 post-hatchlings onto the release boat.
The turtles were released one by one from the boat into the ocean.
Keletso Tembe, iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Acting CEO, said “iSimangaliso is home to the RAMSAR site known as the Coral Reef and Turtle Beaches of Tongaland, a key part of the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area.
As iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, we are elated with the decision to have the turtle hatchlings released here. These iconic ecosystems and species are central to our conservation mission. Each year, we monitor turtle nesting activity and work diligently to ensure that hatchlings make their way safely back to the ocean. It is a privilege to witness moments like the release of these 12 juvenile turtles, having travelled far to find sanctuary in iSimangaliso. They inspire us, strengthening our commitment to conservation in South Africa.”
Every year, the Turtle Conservation Centre admits hatchling turtles (mainly loggerheads) that are swept along the Agulhas Current from the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal towards the cold Benguela Current near the Western Cape. Cold water, rough seas, dehydration, and predation cause many of these turtles to be washed ashore in the Southern and Western Cape.
The hatchlings are often found swept out, weighing between 30g and 100g.
This year, the Turtle Conservation Centre rescued 605 hatchlings.
The turtles are fully rehabilitated before being released back into warmer waters. To ensure this, expensive rehabilitation techniques are needed, including life support, expert medical care, and around-the-clock monitoring.
Each turtle’s rehabilitation journey is unique and can take from a couple of months to many years, depending on individual needs.