Touch and go for old sea turtle 'resting' after beaching in Umhlanga

A few days after a loggerhead sea turtle was found dead on a Durban beach, another ailing turtle turned up on the shore of Umhlanga beach to the north.

The ill female turtle was kept safe by local lifesavers on Sunday January 20 2019 until wildlife authorities arrived.

It is understood the turtle was tagged in December 2005, about 9km south of the Mozambique border. Her age is yet to be determined.

Cara Reilly, of the Umhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct, said that according to feedback from the KZN Marine Stranding Network the turtle is "very sick and very thin".

"Her skin is also peeling, which is not a good sign. The vet has seen to her, given her fluids and some antibiotics. She was resting in some shallow fresh water to rehydrate through her skin overnight," Reilly said.

"The latest from Ezemvelo Wildlife is that she survived the night but since she is a very sick, old girl it is touch and go at the moment. But she is being given fluids and antibiotics and is being kept comfortable."

Last week, according to the KZN Marine Stranding Network, a female loggerhead turtle was found dead on a beach in the Bluff, south of Durban.

"The turtle appeared to have been dead for a few days. The female loggerhead was checked for tags and the relevant measurements were taken," the network said on its Facebook page.

According to the Two Oceans aquarium in Cape Town, there are only seven species of sea turtles, and five of them visit South Africa. "Sadly, every one of these species is also classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as threatened."