Green turtle found in Kincumber rehabilitated and released

An endangered green turtle rehabilitated by the Taronga Wildlife Hospital team has been released back into the ocean after being found near Kincumber in October.

It was the first marine turtle release of 2023 for the busy wildlife hospital and follows the release in December of Terry the turtle, found in August at Terrigal.

The release of the 33 kg turtle took place quietly on February 1.

She was brought into the Taronga Wildlife Hospital last October after being found by a member of the public floating in Brisbane Water near Kincumber.

“The turtle was trying to submerge, but she couldn’t dive so she was just bobbing in the water,” the hospital’s Senior Veterinarian Larry Vogelnest said.

“Thankfully, a couple of boaters rescued her and brought her into our care.

“Green turtles get their name from the green colour of their fat and cartilage.

“Adult green turtles consume mainly seagrass and algae, so they need to be able to dive to access their food.

“This turtle’s entire intestinal tract was full of gas.

“Her intestines looked like balloons; this was one of the worse gas accumulations I have ever seen in a turtle.

“If she hadn’t been rescued and brought into care, her intestines would have ruptured or she would have deteriorated over time.”

The turtle was treated with fluids and pain relief and received general support and care.

After a few days, she started improving and the amount of gas was decreasing.

“We don’t really know what caused the gas accumulation inside this turtle, but thankfully, it gradually resolved,” Vogelnest said.

“It never ceases to amaze me how excited green turtles become when they are about to be released back into the ocean.

“When we are on the boat, it’s like they can smell the ocean – their home – and they start flapping their flippers wildly until we release them into the water.

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“A floating turtle is a common clinical sign of illness, so if you see one that is struggling to submerge or just floating on the surface for long periods, please contact National Parks and Wildlife Service or Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue so they can rescue it and bring it into the Taronga Wildlife Hospital.”

The turtle was released just outside Sydney Headlands thanks to a joint operation by Taronga Wildlife Hospital and NSW Police Marine Area Command.

Like Terry before her, she was tagged with a satellite tracker as part of The Taronga Marine Turtle Satellite Tracking Program – becoming the program’s 39th marine turtle.

The research program, funded by Veolia, monitors the survival and movement of rehabilitated turtles and provides data on critical habitat use in NSW.

All marine turtle species are now classified as endangered or critically endangered.

Habitat and food source loss, accidental capture in fishing nets, entanglement in nets and ingestion of fishhooks, lines and plastics in the ocean are major threats.

“Green Turtles don’t breed until they are about 40 years of age, and sadly many don’t survive that long anymore,” Vogelnest said.

“Although we don’t know the exact age of this turtle, we can tell that she is still a few years away from being old enough to breed, but we hope that she will survive and ultimately contribute to the population of this endangered species.”

Meanwhile, data from the satellite tracker on Terry shows that he is currently spending time in the Kurnell area as he moves in and out of the Sydney basins and up and down the coastline.

The program, established in 2014, helps researchers and conservationists unlock data about the movement of several endangered turtle species and, combined with Taronga’s research in the field of stable isotope analysis, supports a better understanding of important habitat and its protection, threats and their impacts, and species conservation.

Source: Media release, Feb 10, 2023, Taronga Wildlife Hospital