75 Post-hatchling Loggerhead Turtles Released Back into the Blue

Photo Credit: The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation

75 post-hatchling loggerhead turtles have finally made their way back to the ocean after the terrible storms that threw them off course earlier this year.

Cape Point, South Africa (17 December 2024) — This year saw a record amount of hatchling rescues across Cape coastlines. But in good news, one of the final batches of the hatchlings has recently made its way back into the blue! 75 post-hatchling loggerhead turtles have made their way home, at last, thanks to a successful eight months of rehabilitation.

The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s (TOAF) Laura du Toit explains that the turtles were “strong, healthy and ready to be released back into their ocean home”, a fantastic feat for all those who pulled together to help the shelled little ones during the terrible storms of autumn.

The crisis was described as a ‘mass stranding’. Typically, the tiny turtles (with a bit of luck) take off from the Northern Beaches in KZN and catch the Agulhas Current. The current should take them off the coast of the Western Cape out into the warm Indian Ocean.

But, for many turtles, the stretch isn’t easy as is. The cold currents weaken them on a good day, but never mind Cape storms being thrown into the mix!

The number of young turtles thrown off course and rescued by the TOAF’s Turtle Network jumped quickly from 80 hatchlings to 240 and then 600 as of July this year, largely on account of the weather. But, marine heroes banded together to give them the best shot at completing their journey and surviving, albeit at a later stage.

All of this under consideration makes the post-hatchling releases that much more special. Against all the odds, these young turtles managed to get help, and all the helpers ensured they survived.

Medical care, rest, and nutrition all played a huge role in getting the weak hatchlings back to fighting strength.

They were released off the waters of Cape Point, where their carers said their goodbyes and watched the cohort travel off one by one.

By releasing the turtles at the point where the Agulhas Current starts influencing cold waters in the Western Cape, the swimmers were given a better shot at survival thanks to the warmer waters.

“Each time, the little hatchlings greeted the water with ‘flying flippers’ and quickly zoomed off into the beautiful blue!” reflect the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation.

Everyone who has been touched by this story can contribute to the next happy ending by ‘adopting a turtle’! From afar, you can support a rehabilitation journey and help become the reason a friend with flippers gets a second chance. Find out more here.