How to Save a Dinosaur

Jasmine Corbett on the sea turtle populations of the Maldives, and what is being done there to protect them

Image: Sophie Goodison

Sea turtles have graced our oceans for an incredibly long time - since before the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Naturally, reaching adulthood is not easy for Sea turtles, but this is made even harder with the immense anthropogenic threats they face in this modern age. Sadly, all seven of the remaining species are officially listed as threatened by the IUCN.

Five of the seven species can be found in the Maldives, but two are seen the most regularly on the reefs – Hawksbill and Green turtles. Yet it is the Olive Ridley that is most often found in Maldivian waters after becoming trapped in drifting ghost nets. Following concern over dwindling sea turtle populations in the Maldives, marine biologists from the marine consultancy company “Reefscapers” collaborated with Four Seasons Maldives resorts, in North Male and Baa atoll, in 2011 to open two sea turtle rehabilitation centres. The centres take in sick and injured turtles to provide them with medical and supportive care, and ideally release them back into the sea as soon as possible. Additionally, they take in hatchlings that didn’t make it to the ocean after emerging from the nest; sometimes they hatch prematurely, have infections or deformities, or are just too weak. The hatchlings usually stay in the centre for about a year, and once they are healthy and strong enough, they are released. Nowadays, only 1 in 1000 hatchlings makes it to adulthood, so by allowing them to grow healthier and stronger in a protected environment, it increases their chance of survival.

I have been working at the centre for 7 months now, and the experience has been eye-opening; not just in terms of seeing how severely marine waste affects Sea turtles, but to appreciate how resilient they are. In this short time, I have seen Sea turtles found beached and emaciated - entangled in a mass of nets with missing flippers – successfully recover to be released. The turtle releases are the most inspiring and motivating part of the job. To see a severely injured turtle gradually heal day by day and be able to return to its natural environment is truly heart-warming.

Image: Jasmine Corbett

However, as expected, there are a lot of turtles that don’t recover from the multitude of hazards that they face in the ocean today. Once, we recovered a ghost fishing net that had three Olive Ridley turtles entangled in it. Despite receiving severe lacerations to the front flippers from the net, one of the turtles was able to quickly recover and be released. One of the other turtles, managed to pull through and be released after 3 surgeries, which included a flipper amputation; if it hadn’t received immediate treatment it would have died not long after it was found. For the final turtle, the injuries and infections that the entanglement inflicted on it were too severe and it passed away not long after it was found. The busiest time of year for admissions is between January to March, during the Northeast monsoon, when many entangled Olive Ridley turtles, caught in nets from India, Sri Lanka or further afield, drift with the ocean currents and wash up on the shores of the Maldives. Despite the sustainable pole and line fishing that the Maldives practices, they are sadly still burdened with the widespread consequences of unsustainable fisheries from other parts of the world.

Some of our turtles will never be able to return to the ocean. Our longest standing patient – Thakuru – has been at the centre for nearly two years. He lost 3 of his 4 flippers to ghost fishing net entanglement, meaning that he is unable to dive for his food and would be at risk from boat strikes at the ocean surface. To improve the living conditions and general standard of life for our unreleasable turtles, the “Flying Turtle” programme was initiated, in which they are accepted into the exhibits of worldwide aquariums. Not only do they have a bigger living space and interaction with other marine life, but they also serve as educational ambassadors to teach people about the destructive effects of marine waste on wildlife. So far, aquariums in Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia have received 5 of our turtles. In May 2019, one of the turtles – Peggy - sent to Pairi Daiza aquarium in Belgium in 2016, made a full recovery and was able to be sent back to Maldives for release. Peggy went back to the ocean with a satellite tracker attached to her carapace, so we can follow her migrations and gain an insight into where Olive Ridley turtles spend their time.

Currently, the future for Sea turtle populations does not look bright. Unfortunately, this is a negative fact that is important to face. However, by taking this on board, more people will become aware of the plight they face – in turn increasing pressure on individuals, governments and organisations to deal with their waste more responsibly. It can help to influence stricter laws on endangered species protection and to protect the habitats that Sea turtles live within. This is all currently happening on small scales as you read this. There is still plenty of hope for their future, let’s make sure these incredible ancient creatures will continue to roam the oceans in eras to come.

Image: Jasmine Corbett

Find out more about the Flying Turtle Programme on the Marine Savers website.