STILBAAI NEWS - Members of the turtle rescue project run by the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town recently visited the town as part of their road trip.
The group of enthusiastic turtle experts held an information session in the Palinggat Resort hall on Friday night 21 February. The next morning they led a beach cleanup walk at Preekstoel.
According to team member Talitha Noble, baby loggerhead en leatherback turtles hatch between January and March each year in the vicinity of Mozambique.
The month of March marks the beginning of the stranding season for the hatchlings who have made it this far. Noble says they can wash up on any kind of shoreline, from sand to rock. Stilbaai is one of the strategic stranding spots along the Cape coastline.
Should you spot a stranded hatchling, Noble says it is very important to keep it dry and away from the sun.
By the time the animal washes up on a beach, they usually are dehydrated and specialised knowledge is needed to rehydrate them correctly so as not to harm them even more.
She recommends putting the turtle in an empty ice cream container with air holes punched in the lid. The next step is to get in touch with the rescue team as soon as possible.
In Stilbaai the local NSRI works closely with the aquarium and taking the hatchling to them is the quickest way to reach the team.
The road trip started about two weeks ago in Plettenberg Bay to educate residents of coastal towns about turtles and ocean health in general.
They focus largely on schools but also work with local conservation groups such as Still Bay Conservation Trust.
Some of the attendees at the beach cleanup.
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