Vince once weighed no more than a tennis ball and was full of microplastics. Now he’s swimming free in the currents thanks to TOA’s Turtle Rescue Centre!
Cape Town, South Africa (23 April 2026) – When Vince the loggerhead turtle first stranded at Struisbaai last year in April, he weighed 44 grams and passed over 10 pieces of microplastic during his early weeks of care.
After spending 289 days under rehabilitation at the Two Ocean Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre, he was safely released at iSimangaliso Wetland Park with a satellite tag, and within 31 days had already reached the Agulhas Current retroflexion zone off the southern tip of Africa!
He was one of thousands of turtles that have come through the centre, which rescues stranded turtles along our coastline, nurses them back to health – sometimes over months and even over years – and releases them back into the ocean when they are healthy enough to swim free.
By the time of Vince’s release in March, he was plastic-free and sitting at a healthy 798g.
The satellite data shows he’s been cruising in the top five metres of the water column as ocean temperatures slowly drop. Loggerheads can handle cooler water, but cold shock is one of the main reasons young turtles strand in the first place, so the team will likely keep a close eye on him while his satellite still pings.
“Vince spent most of the time underwater, hanging out in the top five meters from the surface as the water temperatures slowly got colder, finally reaching less than 20°C”
Tracking helps to monitor and protect sea turtles. Sadly, fewer than 1 in 500 hatchlings reach adulthood. Every rehabilitated turtle that gets tagged adds to a growing map of where they go, how they move, and what conditions they need and thrive in. Sea turtles, like many forms of marine life, are under pressure from pollution, climate change, and fishing activity.
Vince is back in the great big blue, along with DJ, Bokkie, Norri, Stella, Pebbles, Cinnamon, Kai, Habanero and so many more! All because a team in South Africa exists to act when it matters.
Sources: Linked above.
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