MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The first sea turtle hatchlings have started appearing on the beaches of Mossel Bay, which means that the Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (S.M.A.R.T.) members are on high alert, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any sign of these precious animals.
Loggerhead hatchlings have been the first little ones to wash up on to the beaches in our area.
When this occurs, the S.M.A.R.T. volunteers immediately collect them and transport them to Dr Frans de Graaff at the Hartenbos Animal Hospital. Dr Frans examines the hatchling to check for any injuries or diseases.
Female turtles lay their eggs on the beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal coast and once the hatchlings emerge from the eggs during January and February, they make their way to the oceans. The hatchlings follow the currents all along the Cape coast and at times, are washed off course and then land on our beaches.
Turtles are not used to the cold waters of the Cape coast, which means that they need to receive assistance as soon as possible.
They suffer from hypothermia in the cold waters and this makes them very weak.
When a turtle is weak, it is unable to lift its head and therefore cannot keep its head above water, which could result in it drowning. Like you and I, turtles breathe in air and if they cannot lift their heads, they will not be able to breathe.
All the turtles that we find along the South African coast - the green turtles, hawksbill turtles, leatherbacks and loggerheads - are all classified as endangered on the IUCN red list.
The (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the Red Data List), founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. It uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. (Website: IUCN Red List)
What should you do when find a turtle hatchling on any of our beaches?
- PLEASE do not put it back into the water. The turtle may drown if you do so.
- Contact S.M.A.R.T. (072 227 4715). A volunteer will be sent out to collect the hatchling.
- While you are waiting please keep it at room temperature, out of direct sunlight and out of water.
- Do not put an air conditioner on to keep the turtle cool.
- Place it in a container lined with a damp, soft cloth or towel and ensure it can breathe. (Please do not seal the container and please do not put water into the container. Towel or cloth should only be damp, not drenched).
Once the hatchlings have been collected, they are taken to Dr Frans de Graaff at the Hartenbos Animal Hospital and he will stabilise the little ones.
They are then transported to either Bayworld in Port Elizabeth or Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, where they receive the necessary treatment and nourishment until they are released offshore, back into the currents.
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