Ailing turtle on the mend in Auckland Zoo

FOUND: The ailing turtle was found on Ninety Mile Beach on Sunday. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

An ailing sea turtle found on Ninety Mile Beach is undergoing life-saving treatment at Auckland Zoo.

The green turtle was found at Coal Creek, south of Hukatere, on Sunday by a member of the public. It was looked after by a Department of Conservation ranger overnight and transported to Auckland Zoo on Monday. It is now in the zoo's vet centre receiving "supportive therapy" for exhaustion and dehydration.

If the turtle recovers, it will be transferred to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium for long-term rehabilitation, and returned to the sea off the Poor Knights or a Far North beach in summer.

Turtle expert Dan Godoy said the people who found the 24kg turtle initially tried to return it to the water, but the sea was rough and it was unable to swim on its own.

"It's not a good idea to refloat them. They've stranded for a reason, usually because they're sick or weak," Mr Godoy said.

Instead, he advised anyone who found a stranded turtle to call the 24-hour DoC hotline (0800 DOC HOT) so a ranger trained in looking after the creatures could be alerted. Turtles should not be handled, unless in immediate danger, and should not be put back into the water.

If necessary, they could be moved out of the weather into a more sheltered area but, unlike beached marine mammals, there was no need to keep them cool.

Mr Godoy, a PhD candidate at Massey University, said his research had found that northern New Zealand was part of the green turtle's year-round natural range.

They did not normally come onto land except, in more tropical climates, to lay their eggs. Their nearest breeding populations were on Australia's east coast and in New Caledonia.

Green sea turtles can live for up to 80 years and weigh up to 190kg.