Turtle hatchlings wash up
PLETTENBERG BAY - Beachgoers have once again been urged to keep an eye out for turtle hatchlings on CX beaches as 'stranding season' is in full swing.
While several tiny turtles have washed up on Plettenberg Bay beaches, last week some were found stranded in the Knysna area.
Every year between March and May, large numbers of tiny endangered loggerhead turtles and sometimes leatherback turtles wash up on beaches along the South African coast.
The Knysna Veterinary Clinic team confirmed that they had received a hatchling at their facility last week. It has since been transported to a rehabilitation centre in Cape Town. After their initial rescue locally, the turtles are transported to rehabilitation facilities like the Two Oceans Aquarium where they are nursed back to health and ultimately released.
Conservationists urge beachgoers to be on the lookout for these tiny creatures and to contact authorities when spotted. They urge beachgoers to not place the turtles back into the water. The turtles should be collected in a small, well ventilated tub with a dry towel at the base of the container. The turtles should be kept out of direct sunlight and wind. It is also best not to wet or attempt to feed them.
As part of its rescue efforts, the centre has established a turtle rescue network and works closely with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), Shark Spotters, SANParks, Bayworld and various other organisations along the coast from Gqeberha to Lamberts Bay.
Turtle rescue network points are drop-off and collection points for stranded turtles, from where logistics are arranged to get the turtles to the centre for rehabilitation.
In Plett, the Plett Marine Stranding Network can be contacted on 0794634837 should any turtles be spotted. In Knysna, the Knysna Veterinary Clinic can also be contacted on 0443821844