I recently joined my friend Stuart Laing from the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in Durban on a mission to Sodwana Bay.
Stuart is currently doing his masters thesis on the economic value of the coral reefs of the isiMangaliso Wetland Park, which meant our goal was basically to make a nuisance of ourselves and interview tourists – beach users, scuba divers or fishermen – to get an idea of just how much tourism and revenue the reefs pull into the region.
During our stay, Karen and Duncan from uShaka Marine World‘s quarantine department brought up a female green turtle (Chelonia mydas) which had been in rehabilitation with them for an entire year, after surviving a shark attack on her rear flipper and shell.
Following the application of identification tags, her long-awaited release back into the ocean came over Two Mile Reef at 6.30 am on a gloomy April morning with help from Digger, the skipper at Da Blue Juice dive charter, and Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Wildlife.
I hope you enjoy reliving this turtle’s newfound freedom by watching my video.
