Some farewells are inevitable, while others we are fortunate enough to delay. The sea, a spectacle of life and beauty, also has its days of storm. After a brief postponement due to adverse maritime conditions, the moment has finally arrived to witness the much-anticipated return home of Ulisses and Umiko.

Next Tuesday, 14 November, the two sea turtles will be released back into the Atlantic Ocean, around 20 kilometres (12 nautical miles) south of Faro, on board a vessel of the Portuguese Navy. After several months of rehabilitation at Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo (Rescue Centre), another inspiring chapter comes to a close – one filled with challenges and achievements that have given them the strength to face not only calm seas but also life’s unpredictable storms.

The two turtles, both loggerheads (Caretta caretta), were rescued during the summer after being sighted in the open sea by researchers from AIMM Portugal– Marine Environment Research Association, an NGO that carries out part of its work in Algarve waters. Umiko [‘child of the sea’, in Japanese] was suffering from dehydration, mild anaemia and impaired kidney function. In addition, she had ingested foreign objects (plastic) found in her digestive tract. She arrived weighing 2.3 kilograms and now returns to the sea at 3.2. Ulisses [the famous warrior of Antiquity], meanwhile, was diagnosed with a lung infection and also had plastic debris in its digestive tract. He came to the Rescue Centre weighing 3.7 kilograms and is now ready to return to the wild at 5.4 kilograms.

This success story goes far beyond the simple release of two marine animals into the ocean. It is yet another inspiring example of how cooperation, in the name of Animal Welfare and Nature Conservation among others, can and should be a collective effort shared by people, multidisciplinary teams and multi-institutional partnerships.

The sea is many things. The sea is turbulence and storm, but it is also life and beauty. A captivating duality. Thank you, sea, for all the opportunities and challenges. We move forward together – because that is what you have taught us, because our planet needs it, and because Together, We Protect.