If you live along the Southern Cape Coast then you really want to read this post… because you could be part of the Turtle Road Trip… and if you don’t, then you really want to follow the Road Trip on social media, so that you can read about the amazing work these turtle heroes are doing…

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The Turtle Road Trip Facts in Brief

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A group of researcher’s from the Turtle Rehab Programme take to the roads during the month of March, just before the season where young turtles are starting to be washed up along our shores. Their goal is to raise awareness about what to do, where to go and how to to get the help you need for your little turtle. They will visit schools and community centres along the route, look out for them… you never know when you might find a stranded turtle and when you do you need to know what to do with them…

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Let’s meet the team and take a look at the work they do…
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They rescue vulnerable turtles that have washed up along our coastline. When a turtle washes up they are usually fairly weak and dehydrated, very often injured or ill… they get cleaned of algae and only the very best medical care, they are placed into quarantine to rest and recover, with nutritious meals and activities. They get all the rehab that they need and then they are returned to the sea. When you discover a turtle at on a beach you are charged with placing it in a dry box and getting it to a collection point or contacting the Two Oceans aquarium, so that your turtle can get the best possible medical attention as fast as possible. You can read about a day in the life of a rescue turtle over here.
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Together this team has helped many turtles get their sea legs back…
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If you want to know more about their work then look out for the Turtle Road Trip Team…
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Their presentations are always fabulous and totally worth stopping by to find out more about the work that they do…

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The Turtle Road Trip Evening


The Two Oceans Aquarium recently had an evening of presentations from their turtle team…
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It was an evening of talks about vital projects for ocean lovers as well as presentations on their turtle rescues… and here is some feedback for you to read:

The Pink Rescue Buoy Project


In the Cape Town region, not a lot of beaches have lifeguards, but all beaches can have a Pink Rescue Buoy installed in an easily accessible spot. Each buoy is unique, has its own gis, and a contact number for the local sea-rescue office. Our coastline is famous for rip currents, and really what you need for survival is a flotation device, to keep you buoyant until help arrives. Unfortunatley most people struggle and get exhausted before they get close to the shore and it is fatal. With buoy to hold onto this is an avoidable accident… 350 boys around our coastline have provided 26 saves so far… companies can contact Sea Rescue South Africa and sponsor a buoy placement.

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Sarah from Sharkspotters was there…


Living in False Bay, the Sharkspotters form an integral part of our beach life experience and without them watching over us our beach life would be severely limited. The Sharkspotters office on Muizenberg beach is a network point for the Turtle Rescue Team, and if you do discover a turtle in the South Peninsula, then you can definitely take your turtle there to be rescued. The Sharkspotter team is often the first point of contact for beach goers in any kind of emergency, including turtle collection, simply because they are on duty from dawn to dusk.

Turtles, our Ocean Ambassadors


Finally lets meet the heroes of the day: Turtles do indeed make for fantastic ocean ambassadors, they do have a story to tell and these rescued turtles that return to the ocean after their rehabilitation really do make a huge difference to bringing awareness of the plight of our oceans into the news and into the hearts of the public. This awareness brings conservation into our hearts and homes and will hopefully inspire us all to take a stand and make a difference.

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Sandy, was rescued at Witsands: Sandy had been hit by a propeller and was severely injured, with damage to her shell and soft tissue underneath it. Her wounds were cleaned and infection prevented, and placed in a safe environment where she could heal. Slowly but surely over time the damaged tissue fell away and new tissue replaced it. She was target trained for food, and medication, and after ten months, she went from 17 kg to 27 kg, she was returned to the ocean with a satellite tracker, and she is enjoying the cold waters off our west coast.

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Noci, was also rescued at Witsands: Their first male loggerhead rescue. After a series of antibiotics, he was cleaned, provided with fluids, and after six months released with a satellite tracker. They have observed that he can dive up to 200 dives an hour and even a handful of dives over a hundred meters in depth.

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Alvi was rescued in Struisbaai: He appeared to be in good health, but after a couple of days realised that there must be internal problems, he made strange breathing noises. A trip to the vet and ultimately and endoscopy, which is a longe flexible tube with forceps and a camera, and they were able to remove a piece of black bag, which looks remarkably like sea lettuce. After this procedure, he recovered dramatically and could be returned to the ocean quickly…

You can read about these turtles and their ocean adventures here…

And a Visit to the Aquarium


We always make the most of a visit to the aquarium… so here’s a quick tour…

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My favourite the kelp forest is back…
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And always weird and wonderful beasts…

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We loved the new coelacanth display… which feels very much like the very cool Coelacanth book for Children… and you can read the Coelacanth story over here.
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Photo Gallery


Two Oceans 2019

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