Three juvenile green turtles, found with floating syndrome, have been released back into the wild after a massive community effort to rehabilitate them.
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital veterinary staff played key roles in their recovery – assessing, treating and stabilising them.
The three turtles were found in the Hervey Bay region, during late May and early June.
University of Southern Queensland students rescued the first one, named Callistemon, floating inside a green zone.
The second turtle, Disco Sebastian, was found by locals at Tuan, while the third turtle, Jenny, was found by a local at Gatakers Bay.
Wildlife Rescue Fraser Coast volunteers responded to each turtle and arranged transport to Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
The turtles were in poor health, covered in barnacles and algae, and some also had spirorchiid fluke, which is a parasite.
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The trio also had floating syndrome which is where a turtle is unable to dive beneath the surface of the water, so cannot access food.
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital veterinary staff assessed, treated and stabilised the turtles, so they could be transported to Sea World to complete their rehabilitation.
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They were handed to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) staff to complete their journey back to the ocean.
On July 7, QPWS officers loaded the trio onto a Marine Parks vessel and transported the turtles to their release location at Moon Point in the Great Sandy Marine Park.
Their successful release marks a mammoth community effort involving community volunteers, QPWS, Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, and Sea World.
QPWS is encouraging the community to pick up the phone and call 1300 130 372 to report a sick, injured or dead dugong, dolphin, whale and marine turtle.
