Third time lucky for turn-turtle Connie
A rescued sea turtle is getting a another chance at a normal life after it was stranded twice in two years.
Connie the turtle has been released back into the ocean two years after she was originally rescued in December 2018.
Weighing just 18kg, Connie washed up in Henderson Bay, Northland, malnourished and sickly.
She was rehabilitated by Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life team and released into the wild in March 2019. But two years later, she was stranded again.
This time, she was found 9km away from her first stranding point.
She had digestive issues, likely from eating plastic, and pneumonia. Kelly Tarlton’s team tube-fed and cared for her every day.
After 16 months, Connie is a strong swimmer with great buoyancy and a hearty appetite. When she was released last week, Connie weighed a healthy 45kg.
Jessica Van De Pas, an aquarist at Kelly Tarlton’s, said the release was “bittersweet” as the team had developed feelings for Connie.