A new ray of hope for three-flippered Tama

A 19 year-old loggerhead turtle by the name of Tama has, due to its miraculous comeback, been released at Golden Bay. Tama had been in rehabilitation since October 2015 following a head injury, a cracked shell and a severed flipper as a result of being hit by a propeller. Tama spent several months at the Turtle Rehabilitation Unit at Fort San Lucian in Marsaxlokk where it had to be force-fed after refusing to eat. It was cared for by Nature Trust FEE Malta and the Wildlife rehabilitation team that nursed it back to health under the observation of veterinary surgeon Dr Anthony Gruppetta.

The turtle, which weighs around 47kgs, has been fitted with a satellite tracker kindly sponsored by MAPFRE Malta so that its journey back into the wild can be tracked for research purposes. Tama was released in the presence of 40 students who are currently participating in the Young Reporters for the Environment – Litter Less campaign. Also present for the occasion was a group of students from an informal NGO – Higher Youths – that kindly sponsored the turtle’s rehabilitation programme and has been closely following its progress.

Prior to Tama’s release, students and volunteers carried out a clean-up of the beach where they also logged information on the data sheets prepared to investigate the various waste streams that end up on our beaches.

The President of Nature Trust said that while it was sad to be saying goodbye to Tama, who had been with them for years, they were nevertheless so happy to be able to set him free as a healthy turtle. “We called him Tama (Hope)”, he said “because way back, when we rescued him, he was in a bad shape and close to death. Only our determination and the dedication of the volunteers and VET managed to get him back to full health and to learn to adapt with a missing flipper.

“This is a happy day for us all. He leaves me with a memory that I nearly lost one finger while force-feeding him, but seeing him depart free – and in full strength – is great motivation for us all to continue with our work. Thanks goes to MAPFRE for their full support by tracking him and following his new adventures. A tracker costs close to €5,000 so such support is truly great.”

MAPFRE Middlesea President and CEO Felipe Navarro said: “It really was an amazing experience and – in some ways inspiring – to finally see Tama being released into the ocean. To think that this turtle, which once upon a time was found severely injured, is now able to venture out into the sea – as a result of the sheer determination and dedication shown by Nature Trust – is nothing short of inspiring. Now, we cannot wait to see where Tama will travel to next during his longawaited journey.”