Turtle Hatchlings are making their way out of their nests and into the big wide ocean; a few of them may get lost – this is what to do if you find a hatchling.
Western Cape South Africa (01 March 2022) – The Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation started preparing for Turtle Hatchling back in January, and the first rescues will most likely arrive very soon.
So many of these hatchlings wash up on the Western Cape coastlines because when they are born on the Northern beaches in KwaZulu-Natal, they make their way into the ocean and towards the warm Agulhas current.
If a hatchling is lucky, it will be carried by the Agulhas Current as it turns east off the coast of the Western Cape and out into the warm Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, this isn’t easy for the tiny hatchlings, and many of them are ejected from the Agulhas Current into the cold water of the Atlantic. This water is too cold for these hatchlings to survive. They get gradually weaker and weaker as they try to return to the Agulhas – an effort that is made increasingly difficult in bad weather or if the turtle has been harmed by ingesting plastic pollution.
These weakened hatchlings inevitably wash up on the Western Cape’s coast, and without human intervention, they have no chance of surviving. We have a responsibility to help these animals.
The hatchlings that wash up in the Western Cape are all taken to the Two Oceans Aquarium. Once they have been rehabilitated and are healthy enough, they are released back into the ocean.
The Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation shared what you can do if you find a hatchling. Take a look below.
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Each hatchling costs between R5000 and R8000 to rehabilitate; if you would like to help the team prepare, you can do so here.
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