Green sea turtle is a ‘Sheppie local’
For now, Andy appears settled in his South Coast feeding ground, but his long-term movements remain of great interest.
Andy, the green sea turtle rescued from the Mzimkhulu River in October, is thriving after his release, monitored by a satellite tag generously sponsored by the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation.
As adult male sea turtles are seldom encountered, Andy’s rescue and release offered a rare and valuable opportunity to gain insight into their oceanic movement.
Early indications suggest that Andy is very much a ‘Port Shepstone local’. The South Coast provides an ideal habitat for green turtles, which are long-lived marine ‘vegetarians’ (herbivores) dependent on healthy coastal foraging grounds.
Over the past six weeks, Andy has remained in the nearshore region between Port Shepstone and Margate. Although this stretch of coastline spans less than 20km, his tag data shows that he has clocked more than 1 000km of movement as he explores the area in detail, an impressive average of 20km of coastal ‘grazing’ per day.
Ann Kunz of South African Association for Marine Biological Research said his satellite track resembles a proper backyard run, zigzagging between patches of seaweed and algae that make up the bulk of a green turtle’s diet.
“Two other rescued green sea turtles, one of our recovered rehabilitated turtles Noël, and a large adult female that was also trapped in the estuary, were released in the same vicinity, so Andy may well be sharing this wonderful foraging zone with familiar company.”
Green turtles do not nest along the South African coastline, with their closest major nesting grounds located on remote islands such as Europa and Tromelin in the Mozambique Channel. For now, Andy appears settled in his South Coast feeding ground, but his long-term movements remain of great interest. Satellite tags can transmit for up to three years, although the oily carapace of green turtles can sometimes cause early detachment.
SAAMBR hopes to follow Andy’s journey well into 2026 and beyond.
His progress continues to highlight both the importance of coastal habitat protection and the value of collaborative conservation efforts.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
