Noël, the green turtle rescued near Sheffield Beach last year, was released back into the ocean on the KZN South Coast on Friday after nearly a year of rehabilitation.

The large female, believed to be around 30 years old, was found stranded on the rocks at Christmas Bay in late November.

She was positively buoyant, floating on the surface and struggling to dive, and suffered shell damage and infections.

Named after the bay where she was found, Noël was taken in by the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) and cared for at uShaka Sea World in Durban.

“She is very active, a strict and fussy vegetarian, refusing to eat anything other than algae. We had to carefully manage her activity levels to help her gain weight,” said SAAMBR aquarist Timothy Smith.

ALSO READ: Noël the Christmas Bay turtle on the mend at uShaka

Thanks to SAAMBR’s animal health team, Noël made a full recovery. Before release, she was fitted with a small acoustic tag to monitor her long-term movements through the Acoustic Tagging Array Platform.

She was released near the uMzimkhulu Estuary, where SAAMBR recently released Andy, a male green turtle also fitted with a tracker. Andy has remained in the area, confirming it as an ideal feeding ground for green turtles.

“We know these two vegetarians will thrive in the lush sea gardens of the South Coast. We hope Andy shows Noël the best algae spots,” said Smith.

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The rescue and release were made possible through collaboration between the public, the KZN Stranding Network, NSRI and the Sea Turtle Network.

To report stranded marine animals, call the 24-hour KZN Stranding Network on 031 328 8222 (office hours) or 031 328 8060 (after hours).

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