This article was written by the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR).
Finley is wasting no time settling back into life in the big blue.
Since her release, this resilient loggerhead turtle has already travelled north past Richards Bay, the very area where she was rescued, and is now most likely moving past the incredible iSimangaliso Wetland Park, home to one of South Africa’s most important Marine Protected Areas and vital nesting beaches for loggerhead and leatherback turtles.
For now, Finley seems to be taking a gentle ocean ‘stroll’ up the coast, moving about 15–20 km a day, staying in warm water and keeping roughly 50 km offshore.
Loggerhead turtles have powerful jaws and are well adapted to feeding on hard-shelled prey such as crabs and whelks (sea snails). If Finley moves closer to the reef systems further north, especially around the iSimangaliso and Sodwana Bay region, she will be travelling near some of South Africa’s most incredible warm-water reef habitats. At 50 km offshore, she may also be moving over deeper soft-sediment habitats, where she will definitely find delicious crabs and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates.
Thanks to the generous support of On Safari Africa, we are able to follow Finley’s own ocean safari, and what a pleasure it is to watch her choose her wild path.
Picture: SAAMBR.