A RARE and endangered hawksbill turtle has been rescued south of Narooma after last week’s wild weather.
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Stewart Bayley from Mystery Bay was taking his dog for a walk along the beach after three days of torrential rain and wild seas.
A lot of seaweed had washed up and to his surprise he saw a marine turtle among the debris lying upside down.
He turned her over and could see she was in a very bad state.
He took her home and contacted Montague Veterinary Clinic where vet Dr Kate Le Bars placed her in care.
The veterinary clinic notified National Parks and Wildlife Service at Narooma, which immediately contacted Janine Green from Merimbula who cares for lost and sick marine turtles at her specialist facility at her home.
Janine and Baron Green then drove to Narooma to pick up the turtle that they have now named “Jade”.
Jade is a critically endangered Hawksbill turtle weighing 3.8 kilograms.
Janine put the turtle in intensive care as she is in a very malnourished and dehydrated state.
She has been given fluids to rehydrate her, and also Vitamin B injections to stimulate her appetite and has started on a course of antibiotics for underlying infections.
If she survives, she will be at Janine's turtle rehabilitation tank for six to eight weeks and will then go to the Merimbula Aquarium until the waters warm up and she will be released back to the ocean.
This is the latest turtle to wash up in the Narooma area and elsewhere on the Far South Coast with Janine caring for and releasing a number of other lost turtles.
