An early morning walk along Christmas Bay beach in late November was cut short by the discovery of a stranded green turtle on the rocks. Well-meaning residents returned the turtle to the ocean, unaware that creature had stranded for a reason, and would not cope well with being back in the water.
A flurry of phone calls to our local rescue service, Specialised Rescue Unit, saw S.R.U. Unit Commander Quentin Power arriving quickly on scene. Diving straight into rescue mode – literally – a slightly dramatic retrieval of the turtle from the rough surf quickly ensued, with the help of community members. Heaving the hundred-odd-kilogram turtle to safety was a group effort, and the turtle was safely handed over to the team from SAAMBR, where she is now convalescing beautifully.
This event has highlighted just how important it is for our community to know more about what to do when faced with a marine wildlife emergency.
With our main holiday season of the year gradually picking up pace, more people are going to be exploring further along the beaches, with greater chances of coming across wildlife in trouble.
Coinciding with “turtle season” – annual migrations of certain species to our northern shores to nest, along with the other turtle species that occur along our coastline throughout the year, the scene is set for more interactions and events between humans and turtles than usual.
In brief, here’s what you should do if you come across a turtle on the beach:
DO
DON’T
In ALL events, please immediately call the relevant authorities to report the situation.
Ushaka Sea World
031 328 8222 (o/h) or 031 328 8060 (a/h)
Specialised Rescue Unit – Ballito
060 305 4803
For much further information and detailed guidelines on what actions to take if you come across turtles and other marine wildlife species in trouble, please visit:
A turtle named Noël – our Christmas (Bay) Miracle!
With the immediate action of our community, a potentially fatal situation for this green turtle was quickly turned around. We’re thrilled to report that Noël, named for her timely appearance on our shores, is doing well!
We now know that she’s around 30 years old, and while she’s in fairly good condition externally, her carers suspect she may have stranded due to her condition of being positively buoyant. This means she has air trapped in her lungs, which would prevent her from being able to dive down to feed on the sea grasses in estuaries along the coastline, or avoid predators – and this maybe why she floated onto the rocks.
Possibly caused by an infection, she is being treated and monitored closely by an expert team at Ushaka Sea World. With 536 sea turtle rescue and rehabilitations under their belts to date, she’s in the best possible hands to convalesce, and the team remains positively hopeful for a full recovery and return to her natural habitat of our KwaZulu Natal coastal waters.
DOCRRA would like to extend our thanks to all our community heroes involved in this rescue. We are blessed to share our living space, on land and in the rivers and ocean around us, with incredible wildlife. We’d like to appeal to all Dolphin Coast community members and visitors to our beautiful coastline, to be aware, to brush up on your wildlife knowledge, and do what you can to protect your environment.
How can you help?
Do you want to be an active part of the Dolphin Coast community and environment? Join DOCRRA today! Membership fees start from only R330 per household, per year.
Your contribution helps us, help you and protect our environment.
Join today: https://docrra.co.za/membership/
DOCRRA – Supporting the Community, Supporting the Environment!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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