Little loggerheads in trouble

Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Conservationists are urging beachgoers to keep an eye out for tiny sea turtles along Plettenberg Bay and other Garden Route beaches, as the first hatchlings of "turtle hatchling stranding season" have started appearing.

Every year between March and May, large numbers of mostly loggerhead turtles, an endangered species, wash up on beaches along the South African coast.

The turtles hatch in KwaZulu-Natal and usually swim into the warm Agulhas currents to drift southwards, but often a strong south-easterly wind and rough sea conditions force them into the colder Cape waters.

They end up beaching along the coastline, stunned by the cold, dehydrated and sometimes injured.

The first stranded hatchling was rescued at Nature's Valley on Sunday morning. Thanks to CapeNature, the turtle has already been transported to Cape Town for rehabilitation and ultimate release.

Those that beach along the Plettenberg Bay and Knysna coast usually end up at the Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre where they are nursed back to health. They are then transported to the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town for further rehabilitation and eventual release back into the wild.

The aquarium has over the years established a turtle rescue network to deal with the stranded turtles.

According to the aquarium team, the hatchlings range in weight from only 20g to 80g.

Rehabilitation can take more than a year, depending on the needs of each hatchling, as some are not only suffering from hypothermia but are also injured and require treatment.

The hatchlings are ideally released in early summer when the Cape's waters are warmer.

Stranded hatchlings are taken care of at a recovery centre before they are released back into the wild. Photos: Yolande Stander

How to save a stranded hatchling

The aquarium has released guidelines for beachgoers who come across a stranded turtle hatchling.

Firstly, one should not put the turtle back into the water, but find out where the nearest turtle network point is.

The next step is to transport the turtle to the network point in a tub or box with a dry towel as soon as possible, keeping it out of direct sunlight and wind.

In Knysna and Plettenberg Bay the Stranding Network and SANParks can be contacted on 079 463 4837 and 072 112 8193 respectively.

The first hatchling of "turtle hatchling stranding season" was rescued at Nature's Valley on Sunday.