When a sea turtle named Finley was found floating helplessly in the waters of Richards Bay, rescuers had no idea they were about to encounter a medical anomaly: a patient with the lowest blood count ever recorded in a living turtle.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (02 February 2026) – Found floating for quite some time in the waters of Richards Bay recently, a struggling adult female loggerhead turtle was rescued by concerned observers.
She was named Finley by her rescuers, who wasted no time in carefully transporting her to the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) at uShaka Sea World, where animal health staff were standing by to receive her.
Her initial diagnostics revealed several areas of concern, which confirmed that she was indeed in need of medical intervention.
“Despite her weakened state and much to the surprise of her carers, she began feeding very soon after admission, which is quite unusual for turtles in such poor health. As long as squid is on the menu, she has an appetite,” SAAMBR said.
After more tests, Finely was found to have an exceptionally low blood count, lower than any recorded by the SAAMBR veterinary team in a live turtle. This necessitated a carefully managed blood transfusion as part of her treatment.
“Since then, her body condition has shown steady improvement, and she has begun gaining weight.”
Although Finley is not yet out of danger and remains under close observation, the team is encouraged to see her slowly moving around her rehabilitation pool.
“While Finley’s progress is promising, her prognosis remains guarded as her blood count is still very low,” said SAAMBR Lead Aquarist, Malini Pather.
Pather added that while sea turtle recovery can be unpredictable, ongoing monitoring and supportive care will be essential in the weeks and months ahead.
“We remain hopeful that Finley will continue to regain strength and, in time, return safely to the ocean.”
Sources: SAAMBR
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