64 rescued turtle hatchlings took a boat ride out to sea, got one final shell brushing and were released back into the ocean where they belong.
Cape Town, South Africa (12 December 2022) – The Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation took in 155 turtles this hatchling season and worked tirelessly to save each of them. Now the team have started releasing them back into the wild.
Of the 155 turtles, four are leatherback hatchlings and 151 are loggerheads. The team also rescued three larger turtles including two green turtles and one hawkbill turtle. The majority of the releases will take place during December and January of next year.
The team has worked tirelessly to nurse them back to health. Some were found tired and weak but mostly in good condition, while others were victims of micro-plastic pollution. Thankfully, the team takes in every hatchling that is found to save as many turtle species as possible.
They have shared on their social media that 64 of the hatchlings went back to the ocean this week. Before each is released, the team gives their shells a final clean and then they are transported out to deep water where they can then swim to their new lives.
Check out the foundation’s social media stories here to watch just how they release each of the rescued hatchlings.
by 