Bob the Green Turtle has been living and recovering at the Two Oceans Aquarium for the last eight years; his severe injuries have finally healed, meaning he can go home at last!
Cape Town, South Africa (04 November 2022) – Bob the Green Turtle has been at the Two Oceans Aquarium since November 2014. He was found severely injured at the De Hoop Nature Reserve. Now, eight years later, he is finally ready to head back to the ocean; the Two Oceans Aquarium is feeling both excited and anxious with the release. They are asking the public to please keep the oceans clean, so that Bob and every other turtle, have a fighting chance in the wild.
After his rescue, Bob’s injuries were assessed, and they didn’t look good. Bob was underweight for his age, weighing only 16.6kgs. He had severe bruising and a possible fracture of the bottom shell known as the plastron. He also had a loss of scales and exposed bone.
His name was inspired by the fact that he was too buoyant and “bobbed” around the tank. After a few days of being rehydrated, Bob’s rehabilitation slowly started. Due to his injuries, the team at Two Oceans Aquarium knew he had a long road to recovery ahead.
His condition worsened over the weeks, but the team were determined to save him.
“Bob’s condition suddenly deteriorated. The turtle was starting to show severe abnormal neurological signs and having difficulty breathing. It continually circled to the right and had lost sight in both eyes.”
“Bob required intensive care with tube feeding, daily wound care and lots of fluids to help maintain hydration while out of the water. The fracture had developed an infection, and it was suspected that bacteria had spread to the blood and caused an inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). A blood culture was performed, which dictated a change in medication.”
After months of treatment, Bob started to recover well. He began to sleep at the bottom of the tank, meaning his buoyancy issues had been resolved. It still appeared that Bob was blind, but he was doing much better. Then in January 2015, three full months after his rescue, Bob pooped out a colourful collection of harmful plastic and balloons.
“Turtles often mistake floating plastic for food. Marine debris from discarded plastics is building up in our oceans and poses a significant threat to turtles and other wildlife. Ingested plastic causes bowel obstructions and has caused fatalities in whales, birds and turtles while many other marine animals are at risk.” – Two Oceans Aquarium
Bob started to recover faster, and his eyesight gradually returned. He gained some much-needed weight, and his fractures were almost unidentifiable. Since 2015, Bob has become an ambassador for turtles, swimming at the Two Oceans Aquarium, and raising awareness for how bad it can be if humans don’t do more.
Now years later, Bob lives life in the lap of luxury. If he isn’t receiving a full-body exfoliation from the guys in the tank, he is using his surroundings for a good shell scratch. The time has come though, for Bob to go back to the ocean where he belongs.
The aquarium wishes to educate people on how to better protect turtles in the wild. All it takes is a few simple actions which can save other turtles from going through Bob’s ordeal.
Firstly, we need to keep the oceans free of plastics and litter. These are confused as food and eaten by the turtles. Secondly, we need to keep the beaches free of plastic and litter. These beaches are used as nesting grounds for these endangered turtles. And lastly, we need to keep spreading awareness about turtles in need. You can support the Two Oceans Aquarium in doing this by checking out the website here.
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