A juvenile green turtle that washed up in a shocking state at Wylie Bay, a favourite local beach located only east of Esperance. These turtles are usually found in the tropical waters of north-west Western Australia. The chance encounter with the turtle, around 800 kilometers southeast of Perth, left them all astounded. That rare sighting has sparked an extraordinary community response to save and rehabilitate the animal.
The first turtle we found had a huge cut above its flipper. It was lethargic and had signs of an eye infection. It had suffered deep trauma to both posterior flippers, one of which was close to being bitten in two. These type of injuries are indicative of previous predation, most likely by other shark species, according to wildlife experts.
Community Collaboration
Young local volunteer Jade Sing answered the call and raced over to rescue the turtle. She sent it to Perth, where it was given the specialized care that it required. The young green turtle, which has a broken jaw, has come into the WA Wildlife Hospital for rehabilitation. Since then, it has been undergoing healing treatment there.
Lori-Ann Shibish, a staff member at the hospital, described the turtle’s initial condition:
“When it came to us, it was very lethargic and quite weak.” – Lori-Ann Shibish
Dr Alex Hockton and the veterinary staff from Perth Zoo assisted in developing a plan for initial treatment. Dean Huxley, a representative from the WA Wildlife Hospital, explained some of the challenges faced by the turtle during its rehabilitation process.
“Both of its back flippers were pretty much bitten in half, so it really only has the use of its two front flippers.” – Dean Huxley
Huxley said he couldn’t be prouder of all the collaborative efforts that went into saving the turtle.
“This is a really good example of the whole community working together. There were a lot of different groups involved in this turtle’s rescue.” – Dean Huxley
Understanding the Turtle’s Journey
The green turtle’s trip to Esperance is an oddity — these marine reptiles seldom stray farther south than Shark Bay. Researchers have hypothesized that changes in ocean currents could help explain why these turtles have been showing up in nontraditional, cooler waters. Dr. Hounslow from Perth Zoo mentioned:
“It may have been caught on the warm water Leeuwin current, which runs north to south down the west coast.” – Dr. Hounslow
Great Smokies wildlife biologist Shibish pointed out that animals collected from similar situations are usually malnourished, unhealthy and stressed.
“A lot of these animals show up and they’re very malnourished and in poor physical condition,” – Lori-Ann Shibish
She highlighted an ongoing concern regarding environmental changes affecting marine life:
“There is something happening in the lives of these animals which is causing them to move further away from their normal habitats. We’re just not sure what that is.” – Lori-Ann Shibish
Path to Recovery and Future Release
The green turtle will stay at the WA Wildlife Hospital until it has completely recuperated from its injuries. Huxley assured us that once rehabilitation is finished, Toki’s tourné home is already on the schedule back to those friendly waters.
“It’s going to have to be flown back up north so that it can be released back into its normal area,” – Dean Huxley
He suggested that the probable places of release would be close to Broome or Port Hedland. Wildlife advocates say this case highlights the safer alternative community cooperation can provide to wildlife rescue operations.
