There’s a new turtle in town (Cape Town) and his name is Harry. The I&J Ocean Exhibit at the Two Oceans Aquarium is where Harry, an endangered species of turtle, now calls home.
The turtle is not a new visitor, he arrived in October 2020 and has been through a long rehabilitation process with the animal health team.
According to the Two Oceans Aquarium, Harry was found washed up on a beach at Stillbaai on 21 October 2020 by members of the public.
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He was incredibly weak and had clear lesions on his carapace. These turned out not to be physical injuries, but rather necrosis of his skin due to an infection called “shell rot”, something that turtles can be susceptible to if their metabolisms and immune systems are suppressed, which was clearly the case, as Harry was also severely underweight for his size.Thanks to a quick rescue, Harry’s wounds could be quickly and effectively treated before his infection could spread.
Talitha Noble, Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation Conservation Coordinator, says its been an absolute pleasure to have a magical turtle like Harry in their rehab these last seven months.
“Harry’s journey so far has been long and slow and has required lots of patience – from both Harry and us. Now that he is largely out of the woods, Harry really needs more space to move his body and build up a good appetite! The I&J Ocean Exhibit is the perfect place for this and for Harry to make a new friend in Bob!” said Noble.
Harry is a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), an endangered species of turtles that pass South Africa as part of their long-distance migrations. All the major hazards that affect these turtles are man-made – climate change, abandoned fishing nets, plastic pollution – so when we have the opportunity to rescue one that is distressed, we need to do what we can help this species.
Harry’s seemingly quick recovery is what led to him being affectionately dubbed “Harry the Magic Turtle.”
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Unfortunately, after a few weeks, his appetite vanished and he became very lethargic – both signs of digestive system problems. “After the initial skin rot which ailed Harry, we also realized that he had severe gut stasis, something that green turtles are quite susceptible to because they have an extra-long gut for all the seagrass they eat.
Harry’s appetite has now returned, and he’s happily gobbling up his favourite food – sea lettuce.
What’s next for Harry the turtle?
The seven-month-long healing process took its toll on Harry, leaving him underweight and unfit. For this reason, the turtle rehabilitation team has decided to keep Harry a bit longer, to give him a chance to rebuild his strength before release. During his time in the I&J Ocean Exhibit, his health will continue to be monitored to ensure that there are no lingering digestive problems, and Alexandra Panagiotou, on the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation‘s turtle team, will monitor his fitness and behaviour. If all goes to plan, a release date will be planned for Harry once the warm currents return to the Cape.
