Meet Mangaliso: The Turtle and Fighter Who Defied the Odds

Photo Credit: Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation

A new turtle at the Turtle Conservation Centre is fittingly named Mangaliso (Xhosa for Miracle) because of his odds-defying survival story!

Cape Town, South Africa (24 October 2024) — Earlier this year, the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre received a staggering amount of turtle hatchlings; over 600! Among the rescued clan from the historic hatchling season was a different turtle—not so little Mangaliso, the brave hawksbill.

See, Mangaliso stood out for a few reasons. Firstly, he was not a hatchling but a juvenile hawksbill; meaning he was bigger, heavier and part of a family of sea turtles that is critically endangered.

When Mangaliso made his way to the Centre, all hands were on deck to see what he needed. The young turtle was incredibly weak and needed help to breathe.

Turtle vet Dr Bernice cautioned the team to help his breathing along with a special device. However, the turtle was struggling and needed to be placed on oxygen.

That night, anxiety filled the centre. Despite hope that Mangaliso might pull through, the odds were not in his favour, seeing as he had not taken a breath on his own for quite some time. The following morning to much disappointment, he was unresponsive. But still alive.

The turtle team wasn’t ready to give up on the hawkie just yet, just as he wasn’t ready to bow out either. As a final push effort, the team dedicated hours to breathing for him with the device, hoping that Mangaliso, who had so bravely survived in his condition, would give them a miracle.

Around six hours later, that’s exactly what happened when the hawkie offered a flap of a flipper and raised his head!

For the team, it was nothing short of a miracle and the reason they do what they do. It wasn’t obvious how Mangaliso managed to come back to them, but he had. And so his name was gifted to him as a reminder of what he had overcome—near death.

It’s incredible to consider that a fighting spirit is not unique to humans.