Pemba was found in 2014, floating in Table Bay Harbour. Pemba’s rehabilitation and release was made possible through the joint efforts of the Two Oceans Aquarium and uShaka Sea World.
Pemba was released on the 8th of March 2018. She spent 4-years being rehabilitated after being found floating in the Table Bay Harbour.
An initial examination showed a fracture on the side of her carapace (shell), presumably from a boat propeller. The Two Oceans Aquarium performed surgery and the fracture was wired back together. The fracture healed within a couple of months.
Pemba was under constant veterinary supervision and was given antibiotics for the fracture to her shell as well as a suspected lung tear. Pemba had problems with large volumes of air in her coelomic cavity. The trapped air caused her to be positively buoyant, meaning she couldn’t dive down as a healthy turtle would to find food. The vets worked hard to help resolve the issue but were unsuccessful.
The Two Oceans Aquarium cared for Pemba until 2016. She was then moved to the uShaka Sea World for further treatment and her eventual release.
“The dedicated staff at uShaka Sea World spent the next 16 months working with Pemba who still had buoyancy and lung issues. Slowly but surely her diving abilities began to increase. Olive Ridley turtles feed mainly on crustaceans and she could therefore not be released until she could dive deep enough to find food. Once Pemba had regained her ability to dive, there was no looking back and the team began to plan her release.”
“Pemba was fitted with a satellite tag which was attached to her carapace before being released. This satellite tag will allow scientists to track where she goes from GPS coordinates transmitted from the tag.” – SAAMBR, South African Association for Marine Biological Research.
The hope was, that Pemba would head towards Madagascar as small populations of this species of turtle (Oliver Ridley) are found off northern Mozambique, Tanzania and north-west Madagascar. Instead, she is currently travelling around the coast of South Africa and heading up in the same direction as Yoshi, the Loggerhead Turtle, released by the Two Oceans Aquarium in December.
“Wherever she goes she will help us to understand more about these elusive and endangered animals. This knowledge will help us to care for them in their ocean realm. The teams at uShaka Sea World and the Two Oceans Aquarium are grateful that she has recovered so well after the many years of care and we wish Pemba a wonderful return to the ocean” said Malini Pather, senior quarantine aquarist at uShaka Sea World.
This is marvellous! Wonder if Pemba is going to catch up with Yoshi… 🐢 https://t.co/s2UIAmRXIR
— Two Oceans Aquarium (@2OceansAquarium) May 7, 2018
The last update on Yoshi’s whereabouts was on the 21st of April. The Aquarium had this to say,
‘Yoshi is exploring coastal Southern Angola and has been moving around Ghost Island in the Tiger’s Bay area. This sandy island was once a thriving commercial fishing community, but due to the lack of freshwater most inhabitants abandoned the island by 1974. The area is well known for its rich marine life as well as birdlife. Yoshi’s swimming behaviour strongly suggests that she is feeding here, likely taking advantage of the fertile waters to fill her belly.’
by 