A large crowd has gathered at one of the Sunshine Coast’s most popular beaches to witness four rescued green sea turtles being safely released into the ocean.
The team at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium successfully rehabilitated the turtles before their release at Mooloolaba Beach on Monday.
The four green sea turtles named Jake, Luna, Goku and Cavill came into SEA LIFE’s care from August to November last year, thanks to Coolum Coast Care, Turtle Care and Noosa Council.
All four turtles underwent extensive rehabilitation at SEA LIFE and were deemed ready for release by the veterinarians.
Jake was found floating in the water offshore at Teewah Beach and received treatment to help move the gas build-up. Luna was also found on Teewah Beach lethargic and anaemic.
Goku was found washed up at Marcus Beach covered in marine leeches and burrowing barnacles, while Cavill was found washed up at Dicky Beach with an infected carapace.
SEA LIFE vet nurse Brittney Attwood said every time a turtle gets rescued they are usually in extremely poor condition.
“They are quite lethargic from being unwell for a number of months prior to them coming into a rehab centre,” she said.
“We have Cavill and he had soft-shell syndrome, which is the disease that’s been going around in some local turtles. He’s made a full recovery from that, which is great.
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“We have Jake who, with the help of Aussie Zoo Wildlife Hospital, underwent treatment for having a collapsed lung.
“Then we have Gok and Luna who were treated for floating syndrome.”
She said the vet work undertaken by the team to get the turtles back in the ocean included injectable treatment, betadine baths for skin legions, x-ray imaging and blood work.
“The vet team don’t clear them for release until they are in really good body condition. We like to see them at 85 per cent body weight, so all these guys are really chunky and ready to go,” she said.
“Before they are released they are getting a microchip and a flipper tag as well.
“That number is theirs and is universal, so if they ever end up in another rehab facility – and we hope they don’t – they can track their history and everything we’ve done here.
“There’s always a chance they won’t pull through, and often they don’t which is extremely sad for the species … so we take it day by day with these guys and do as much as we can.”
She said it was an amazing feeling to have four turtles going back out into the ocean at once.
“It’s such a great way to start the year,” she said.
“It’s always bittersweet to release the turtles that we have cared for as we get so attached to them but it’s certainly a win for the species.”
Last year was one of the biggest years for the aquarium’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre with 74 adult and 44 hatchlings being cared for by the team throughout 2022.
“We had more than 100 turtles through our centre last year – that’s nearly double the amount that came through the year before,” she said.
“There was the flood event that happened at the start of the year and then the soft-shell disease that’s been going around. In general, most of the turtles that come into care are suffering from the floating syndrome.
“It’s such a great team here and we all chip in and we are all here for these critters. Our main goal is the turtles and getting them out.”
People who come across a sick or injured sea turtle in the wild are encouraged to report it immediately to the Queensland marine stranding hotline on 1300 130 372.
“We encourage people at the beach to take three for the sea … pick the rubbish up and it will stop it getting into the turtles’ system,” Ms Attwood said.
The quadruple release comes ahead of Clean Up for the Hatchlings on Saturday, February 4, a free event run by the Sunshine Coast Council in partnership with ReefCheck Australia, Unitywater and SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast.
The event inspires the community to come together to help clean up the region’s beaches in preparation for the hatchling turtles.
Female loggerhead and green turtles will journey their way up onto the beaches along the Sunshine Coast to lay their eggs from about November to March, usually during the night and very early morning.
Marine turtles lay multiple clutches of 90-180 eggs in the sand of the fore-dune area.
SEA LIFE visitors can purchase a ticket for the Behind the Scenes Tour to see what goes on in the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. For more information visit visitsealife.com.
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