A rescued turtle with only three flippers, who would not have survived in the wild, is settling into its new home at the National Marine Aquarium.
The aquarium in Plymouth welcomed Heidi, a 29kg male turtle rescued from South Male Atoll in the Maldives.
The Olive Ridley turtle, with only one front flipper, was discovered entangled in a ghost net – a fishing net that has been abandoned, lost or discarded into the ocean.
He had deep wounds to both front flippers, and unfortunately the front left flipper had to be amputated.
The remaining front flipper suffered extensive muscle, nerve and blood vessel damage so is also not functional, meaning the animal would not have survived in the wild.
However, the turtle’s injuries have not stopped him from being a competent swimmer and diver.
He is quite the acrobat, he often puts on a display of turning upside down and spinning around to catch pieces of fish.
Marcus Williams, curator at the Ocean Conservation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be able to give Heidi a home in our Great Barrier Reef Tank.
“As well as allowing our audiences to engage with this wonderful animal, we will be able to educate on the dangers of ghost nets and the importance of conservation efforts around the world.
“It was an amazing effort to get Heidi safely over to Plymouth, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of some dedicated organisations, including Olive Ridley Project, Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, IAG Cargo, JCS Livestock, Trans Maldivian Airways and British Airways.”
The 65cm turtle underwent surgery and spent four years at the Olive Ridley Project – a charity which carries out vital work to rehabilitate turtles caught up in ghost nets.
Thanks to their partnership with Coco Collection, the Olive Ridley Project created the first veterinarian-led turtle rescue centre in the Maldives, where Heidi lived before being transported to his new home.
Landing in the UK at the start of November, Heidi spent a few weeks in an acclimation tank at the National Marine Aquarium in order to properly settle into his new home before he is moved to the Aquarium’s Great Barrier Reef Tank.
Dr Claire Petros, lead veterinarian from the Olive Ridley Project, commented, “We’re excited that our long-term patient, Heidi, has arrived at his forever home at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth in England.
“Sadly, Heidi would not have been able to return to the wild as he has no use of his remaining front flipper and as such wouldn’t have survived back in the ocean.
“He has such an incredible personality and we thought he would make a fantastic ambassador, raising the awareness of the threat that turtle’s face from ghost nets around the world.”
