Ridley the sea turtle heading to rehab

Ridley the endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is making a healthy recovery and plans are now being made to send her to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium in Auckland for rehabilitation.

Earlier this month, Ridley was discovered by members of the community at Lyall Bay Beach in Wellington.

Normally found in warm tropical waters, Ridley was transported to The Nest at Wellington Zoo, and staff found she was suffering from hypothermia, shell damage and dehydration.

At the time they said there was a 50-50 chance Ridley would survive.

This week, veterinary science manager Dr Lisa Argilla said she was pleased with the progress that Ridley had made.

Ridley's appetite had returned, and she was now feeding on a diet of fresh fish and leafy sea greens.

"Ridley has been swimming, eating, and even showing her stroppy side over the last week," she said.

"Ridley has a very strong jaw for eating fish, molluscs and other crustaceans, so we're using medical forceps to keep our fingers well out of her way."

Plans were now being made for Ridley to make the move to Kelly Tarlton's as soon as next week.

"Kelly Tarlton's have large salt water tanks for her to swim in, as well as the expertise to manage her rehabilitation so she is fit and ready before returning to the warmer waters she would be accustomed to," Ms Argilla said.

"The shell injury that Ridley sustained will take a long time to heal, and we're still keeping a good eye on her in case it has led to blood poisoning. But based on her demeanour, we're confident that she's almost fit enough to make her move."

She said it could take Ridley two years to build up enough strength to be released back into the wild.

"Ridley was in a critical condition when she arrived, and we want to make sure she will be able to thrive when she returns to the wild."

It is believed Ridley may have been caught in strong currents before being washing up on Wellington's southern coast.