Caring for endangered green sea turtles

I have asheh kuda velaa's to look after!!! (8 little turtles!)


Collecting the turtles

Bringing the turtles home

It's been a fun, busy, exciting couple of weeks getting the tanks, equipment and systems set up along with training the new volunteers in the procedures and general animal husbandry practices. We are into a pretty good daily routine now - including early morning 730am wake ups! (I'm used to sleeping in and staying up till all hours of the night here...)

Measuring the straight carapace length

Measuring curved carapace length

Ross preparing the fodder

The little guys are putting on weight, feeding and swimming well, and are becoming a star attraction every afternoon. We get a constant stream of people stopping by the marine centre at feeding time. The kids love seeing the turtles eat - and I'm pretty sure most of the adults enjoy to seeing them too.


Feeding time

Turtles in their new tank

It has been fascinating for me to see how quickly the tanks and water pump system was set up. We currently have a pretty basic setup that involves connecting a bunch of pipes, hoses and electrical cables together (my electrical apprenticeship has begun), then flicking the switch. One lucky person stands waist deep in the sea with the pump, a second person holds the power cables and the new sea water flows into the tank. The system works adequately for our purposes now, although a better pump system - where we won't have to get wet - is under construction.



Not a turtle

While we are near maximum turtle capacity right now, the plan is to set up more tanks to allow Atoll Volunteers to take on the rehab and release of more turtles in the future. 

I have loved getting back to looking after rare and different creatures again. And my brain has had a decent workout researching everything 'turtle' and setting up systems from scratch. 

When we got the first turtles, I only had 3 weeks left on Naifaru so I tried not to get too attached to them. But for anyone who knows me well, that was a pointless exercise! They're not cuddly and I can't take them for a walk but they are so cute - especially up close. They recognise me at feeding time and have individual behaviours and physical patterns that I now recognise too.

More feeding...

It will be sad to leave them in a week, but I know they will be in Thuday's capable hands and that I have had a part to play in helping a few more endangered green turtles survive.

OK, so I was a little excited when I got the first 7 :)