uShaka Sea World in Durban recently received a special delivery all the way from Cape Town. They were 72 Loggerhead turtle hatchlings, and were part of a total of 304 hatchlings admitted into the care of staff at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation in Cape Town.

The had been found stranded on various Cape Town beaches following the stormy weather conditions experienced in the Mother City.

As the Two Oceans Turtle Rehabilitation Facility was at capacity, they reached out to uShaka Sea World to admit and care for 72 of the 304 little hatchlings. The hatchlings arrived at uShaka on Monday afternoon (April 15), said Malini Pather, uShaka Sea World Lead Aquarist and Turtle Rehabilitation Specialist.

“Getting ready to receive such a large number of turtle hatchlings all at once, on such short notice was no easy feat. The 19 appropriately sized pools needed to be prepared. Some of the stronger patients had to be relocated to create space. Bespoke heaters and appropriate lighting needed to be sourced and put in place, whilst at the same time caring for the other animals in quarantine,” said Ms Pather.

After being given a health clearance to fly, the Two Oceans Aquarium staff carefully and safely placed the 72 hatchlings into specially padded holding containers before they were loaded onto an aeroplane heading for Durban.

On arrival at uShaka Sea World, each turtle was evaluated by the resident veterinarian and members of the Turtle Rehabilitation Team before being numbered and placed into holding pools. The evaluation included a body condition score, hydration status checks and buoyancy tests to make sure the turtles were able to swim.

“We are happy to report that the hatchlings are looking much stronger now. They have been with us for a few days and although it is still very early in their rehabilitation journey, they are doing well. At this stage it is still too early to say when they will be healthy enough to be released. However we will update as soon as the hatchlings are strong enough to be set free,” said Ms Pather.

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