uShaka shares green turtle’s rehabilitation journey
A green turtle named Seraphina completed almost nine weeks of rehabilitation and was released back into the ocean on Tuesday morning, November 21, by the uShaka Sea World Turtle Rehabilitation Team.
THE South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) recently shared the success story on their Facebook page of a stranded green turtle that was rescued in September and released back into the ocean on Tuesday.
“After entering into the care of the uShaka Sea World Turtle Rehabilitation Team on September 26, 2023, a beautiful green turtle named Seraphina completed almost nine weeks of rehabilitation and was released back into the ocean on Tuesday morning, November 21. She was found stranded in Park Rynie and collected by uShaka Sea World lead aquarist Rob Kyle,” said SAAMBR in their statement.
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Upon initial examination by the uShaka Sea World Veterinary Team, Seraphina was found to be positively buoyant – which left the turtle unable to descend below the surface of the water.
“Further healthcare involved radiographs and a blood sample. She was treated with metoclopramide to stimulate gut movement which would, in turn, correct her buoyancy challenges,” said SAAMBR in their statement.
Quarantine aquarist Kerry Lavender, one of Seraphina’s caregivers, shared a heartfelt sentiment. “Seraphina was very resilient from the start. She started eating the very next day and made good progress in her ability to correct her buoyancy by diving deeper and deeper for her food. She was a very sweet-natured turtle that crept into the hearts of her caregivers.”
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According to SAAMBR, Seraphina favoured feasting on squid, which aided in digestion and alleviating gas trapped in her coelomic cavity.
“Pre-release procedures included thorough health checks, follow-up blood samples, radiographs and morphometrics (body and weight measurements). To aid in future tracking efforts, Seraphina was fitted with a pit tag. We look forward to receiving updates on Seraphina’s post-release movements, which we will share with the public,” said SAAMBR.
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