Terry The Sea Turtle Is Getting Healthier Every Day!

Featured Image Credit: skynews.com.au
By: Laura O’Brien

A small sea turtle named Terry was rescued in the cold waters off the coast of Victoria, Australia. Melbourne Aquarium took the green sea turtle in; fortunately, they are prepared to rehabilitate sea turtles despite the fact that the inhospitable nature of the area for turtles makes them fairly uncommon to encounter.  Exhibit manager Tereza Todd explained that the aquarium cares for sea turtles “very sporadically” because turtles usually avoid Victoria’s cool waters.  In fact, the Melbourne Aquarium did not take in any turtles in 2016, however, they did have multiple in 2015. Todd said that hatchlings occasionally drift down the east current and find themselves in Victoria.

In reference to the dangers turtles face in the cold waters of Victoria, Todd said, “their bodies slow down and they can’t really control where they’re going, they don’t get enough food and they’re not strong enough to stay in colder waters”. Turtles are cold-blooded, so they are heavily impacted by the temperature of their surroundings.  Their dependency on warmth creates a self-feeding cycle in which cold waters cause the turtles to become slow and weak, which causes them to become malnourished, which in turn makes them even weaker; and this cycle can mean the end for turtles less fortunate than Terry.

Luckily for Terry, he is in great hands and he is making a fantastic recovery.  Terry has already gained over 5 pounds and even his shell has grown.  Green sea turtles can live to 80 years or more, so Terry is a very young turtle at less than 5 years old.  Living to 5 years old is a huge accomplishment for sea turtles because when they are young, sea turtles are extremely susceptible to predators and human activities such as pollution and poaching.  Todd said that “turtles have a one percent chance of survival from birth”. Terry has overcome absolutely incredible odds so far, and the Melbourne Aquarium is doing a wonderful job ensuring that he will continue to do so. Terry is scheduled to be released in January, and until then he will be under the watchful eyes of dedicated marine conservationists who intend to ensure that he will have the best chance possible to live a long, happy life.

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