Experts fight for turtle trio

TOUGH TIMES: One of the hawksbill turtles now recuperating in Auckland, showing signs of severe stress when it was found.

Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium and Auckland Zoo are making every effort to ensure that three sea turtles that came into their care in critically ill condition after being rescued off Northland's west coast in late September will get a second chance at life.

The ingestion of plastic is the suspected cause of gut impaction in a young male hawksbill turtle, which last week was transferred from Kelly Tarlton's to Auckland Zoo for further x-rays and health checks. A second hawksbill and a green sea turtle were already receiving initial treatment at the zoo, although the hawksbill has since moved to Kelly Tarlton's now that its condition has stabilised. The green sea turtle remains critically ill.

"When Department of Conservation staff brought these turtles down from Dargaville and Kaitaia they were in a seriously bad way," Auckland Zoo senior vet Dr James Chatterton said.

"While they had varying individual problems, they were all severely emaciated, dehydrated, suffering from bacterial infections and covered in algae and barnacles. It's been a real team effort to get them to where they are now, and we just hope they'll make it.

"It's pretty distressing to see the impact we humans are having on marine life like this," he added.

"A recent WWF report suggests 50 per cent of aquatic species have been lost in the past 40 years, with sea turtles one of the most affected, and significantly impacted by plastic in the ocean. Reducing our use of plastic and disposing of it safely is vital."

Hawksbill and green sea turtles, both listed as endangered, were generally found in warmer, tropical waters, but could wash up on New Zealand shores during colder periods if they were weak and suffering from injury or illness.

Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium curator Andrew Christie said the turtles often mistook plastics and other rubbish for staple food items like jellyfish and sponges.

"Once they swallow them, this causes a blockage, and begins a slow, agonising death," he said.

"These amazing animals are under threat globally. Kelly Tarlton's and the SEA LIFE Trust [which supports the triage and on-going rehabilitation of turtles] take our responsibility to marine wildlife seriously, and are committed to playing our part in their on-going survival."

Provided the health and rehabilitation of the three turtles progressed successfully, they could be released back to the wild during the coming summer.