Rescued turtle trio swim free

By ANNE BESTON

Navy staff had some demanding passengers on board during their latest supply run to the remote Kermadec Islands - three tropical green turtles.

The turtles needed watering every three hours on the two-day trip aboard frigate HMNZS Canterbury from Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic and Underwater World in Auckland to New Zealand's biggest marine reserve.

The trio, named Bones, Jade and Michelle, spent more than a year recovering from injury and disease before the 1000km trip back to warmer waters.

Curator Andrew Christie said Kelly Tarlton's divers would not miss the occasional nasty turtle nip, but he was sad to see them go.

"You get pretty attached to them over a year but it's where they belong so it's good."

Tropical green turtles, listed as threatened under a United Nations charter on illegal trade in endangered species, are occasionally found off Northland and Auckland but no one knows why they drift so far south.

"They're usually at death's door by the time we find them," Mr Christie said.

Bones was emaciated, hypothermic and had a severe bacterial infection when rescued near Rangitoto Island and it seemed unlikely he would survive.

But after a high-protein herring and squid diet, all three turtles were in excellent health by the end of their stay, with the heaviest weighing 44kg.

Navy staff hauled them aboard inflatable boats and reported that the turtles swam quickly away as soon as they were released.

Green turtles can live up to 90 years and measure up to a metre in diameter when fully grown. Mr Christie said these turtles were probably aged between 10 and 20.