17th of May, 2024
On the 16th of May, Zoomarine returned two sea turtles of the “Carretta Carretta” species to the sea in Portimão.
Named Vanora and Ukiyo, the first was found stranded at the beginning of March in Praia Grande, in the municipality of Sintra, in mortal danger. Collected by RALVT – Rede de Arrojamentos de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (Lisbon and Tagus Valley Strandings Network), she was taken to Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo centre in Guia, Algarve, for rehabilitation.
On arrival at Zoomarine’s rehabilitation centre, she was in a comatose state, weighing just 242.3 grams, 11.4 cm long and with a small lesion on her shell. As of today, she weighed 544.7 grams, more than twice as much as when she arrived at Porto d’Abrigo.
Ukiyo has been in rehabilitation since November 2023. She was found stranded in the mud in the Carrapateira stream (Bordeira, Aljezur) and delivered to a GNR post, where she remained safe until the Porto d’Abrigo team arrived.
The Ukiyo has been in rehabilitation since November 2023. She was found stranded in the mud in the Carrapateira stream (Bordeira, Aljezur) and handed to a GNR post, where she remained safe until Porto d’Abrigo team arrived.
Prostrate, very thin and with physical signs of dehydration, she had several superficial injuries along her limbs, head and shell. She weighed 2.24 kg and was 24.6 cm long when she arrived, having grown to 4.9 kg and 29.6 cm when she was returned to the sea.
For Antonieta Nunes, the veterinary nurse in charge of Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo: “the recovery and return of Vanora and Ukiyo to their natural habitat is a significant milestone for Porto d’Abrigo, which is once again fulfilling its mission to save and rehabilitate marine species, giving them a second chance in the wild. The story of these turtles is testimony to the positive impact we can have on the conservation and protection of the marine environment, provided we work together to that end.”
The return of the turtles to the sea took place around 10 nautical miles south of Barra de Portimão, thanks to the support of the Portuguese Navy, which provided the means during a maritime patrol action, so that it was possible to return Vanora and Ukiyo to their natural habitat safely and without creating an environmental footprint.
