MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The sea turtle hatchling season has started on the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal and many loggerhead and leatherback hatchlings will be carried offshore in ocean currents.
Every year little hatchlings are found on our local beaches.
What to do when turtle hatchlings are found:
- Contact S.M.A.R.T. (Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team) at 072 227 4715. S.M.A.R.T. will organise that the hatchlings are collected and taken to either the Dias Museum or Dr Frans De Graaff’s Hartenbos Animal Hospital. The hospital is equipped to safely care for them until they will be sent to either Bayworld in Port Elizabeth or Two Oceans in Cape Town.
- Place a damp towel or clean cloth in a small container and place the hatchling on it. Please DO NOT place the turtle in a container with water.
- Keep it in a quiet space at room temperature and do not try to feed or handle it.
- Please do not put the turtles back into the ocean.
All sea turtles are a protected species and special permits are required to have them in your possession.
S.M.A.R.T. works in collaboration with Bayworld and Two Oceans in this regard, and has the authority to deal with any turtles that are found on our beaches.
Follow the correct procedures, described in this article, if you see a turtle on the beach and contact S.M.A.R.T. (072 227 4715).
'We bring you the latest Mossel Bay, Garden Route news'
