Caretta caretta – The rescue

On July 23th 2015 we found an injured Loggerhead turtle during one of our trips. She destitute drifted on the surface of the ocean. We discovered the big injury in her carapax which might be caused by a ship strike. We took her on board. Back on land we entrusted her in Thomas Dellinger care. He is a german biologist specialized in sea turtles, who works as professor on the University of Funchal as well as on “Centro de Ciencias da Vida”

The injured animal was transferred to Vetmadeira. Since many months the vets there voluntary take care of the turtle. Step for step new texture builds around the fracture of the carapax. The healing wound is progressing. A main important point was that the animal accepted her food. Hopefully in the end of December/ beginning of January it might be possible to release her into her natural environment.

by Fatima Kutzschbach

Caretta caretta