Death of rare turtle found on Northland beach highlights dangers of plastic in the sea

This baby loggerhead turtle - a fairly rare visitor to the country - was found on Tokerau Beach, in the Far North, earlier this month.

A baby loggerhead turtle was far from home and in distress when it was found on a Far North beach.

Despite best efforts of experts at Auckland Zoo, the rare visitor died - possibly due to the plastic found in its gut.

Conservationists are using the unusual find as a reminder to people to get in touch as soon as possible if they see a turtle, or any other marine animal, in distress.

The turtle was found to have plastic in its intestines and Auckland Zoo vet Dr Adam Naylor said this would very likely have contributed to its deterioration.

Conservationists say this highlights just how serious the issue of plastic in the marine environment is and how they how they can help to prevent similar deaths by disposing of waste appropriately.

Auckland kindergarten teacher Rachel Dudley and her husband Steve found the tiny turtle while walking on Tokerau Beach on November 9.

Auckland Zoo experts work on the rare baby loggerhead turtle found on a Far North beach. Sadly, the marine mammal died

“We were up at Tokerau Beach for a walk when my husband Steve spotted a small turtle sitting up on the sand. It was still a couple of hours until high tide, so we had no idea how long it had been there. At first, we feared the worst because it wasn’t moving, but when we looked closer, we saw it give a little twitch,” she said.

“We gently carried it down to the water and let a few waves wash over it. After that, it slowly started to become more active. Feeling relieved, I phoned the DoC hotline. We explained exactly where we’d found the turtle, which was quite close to an estuary. Because turtles that size are so rarely seen in this area, DoC initially wondered if it could have been a pest species or even someone’s unwanted pet. After a quick Google search on our end and sending them a photo, we all worked out pretty quickly that it wasn’t a pest at all.”

So, the turtle went home with them for a short while until DOC could make a plan.

“Since we were heading back to Auckland that morning, they arranged for us to drop it off in Kerikeri, where it would be checked by a vet and given fluids. Within a few hours, we got an update saying the turtle had been put on a flight to Auckland and taken straight to the Auckland Zoo vets for care.

“So, in one day, this little turtle had quite the adventure - a beach rescue, a visit to our home, a car ride, and even a plane trip. I know that turtles are often spotted in Rangiputa and not long ago watched a story about DoC releasing turtles back there so figured they would have the best knowledge about what to do with the turtle.“

The couple have seen plenty of marine life in Northland, but said this little turtle is definitely the rarest thing they’ve spotted.

Plastic found in the faeces of a rare baby loggerhead turtle found on Northland’s Tokerau Beach could be the cause of its death, experts say

Dudley has shared the story with the tamariki at kindergarten and said it was a great way to educate them about the importance of picking up rubbish at the beach and looking after the environment.

Dr Karen Middlemiss, DoC senior marine species science advisor, said it is very rare to see such a small loggerhead alive in New Zealand, with this one weighing 160g when it arrived at Auckland Zoo and was believed to be around 6-12 months old.

“Loggerhead turtles have different subpopulations. This one was a South Pacific loggerhead turtle, which are critically endangered globally and protected in New Zealand under the Wildlife Act. They do not breed here and are a vagrant species visiting occasionally.”

Middlemiss said the waters are too cold here to sustain loggerhead populations, and they are mostly seen in the North Island because of this.

South Pacific loggerhead turtles hatch on beaches in New Caledonia and eastern Australia and hatchlings begin a long developmental migration spanning thousands of kilometres across the Pacific Ocean towards South America. Little is known about the “lost years” during juvenile South Pacific loggerhead migrations.

Loggerheads are only around 5cm long when they hatch and rely on ocean currents for long-distance dispersal. They enter the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a large oceanic conveyor system that carries them across the Pacific basin towards South America and eventually back to natal beaches to breed.

“The juvenile that stranded on Tokerau Beach likely exited the gyre due to strong currents or weather systems which pushed it down into the East Auckland Current, which flows down the North Island between North and East Capes. Given its very small size and health status, it would have unlikely been able to swim against prevailing wind and water currents to rejoin the gyre.”

She said turtles don’t usually come ashore in New Zealand unless they have a health issue, so any found on the beach will very likely need specialist care.

If you find a turtle, call our emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468). Do not try and refloat turtles or take them to your local vet.

Turtles found alive are sent immediately to Auckland Zoo for specialist veterinary care, and if they survive, are then transferred to Kelly Tarlton’s for rehabilitation before being released back into the wild. DOC may transfer dead specimens to museums and scientists for research and educational purposes, with iwi approval.