On 18 October, leading South African seafood producer and founding Two Oceans Aquarium partner, I&J, furthered its support of the Aquarium’s conservation efforts with a R30 000 donation towards their sea turtle rehabilitation programme. During the launch of I&J’s sustainability report, amidst a gathering of suppliers, distributors and media, I&J CEO Ronald Fasol handed over a cheque to Aquarium aquarist Kevin Spiby.

The donation will be used to feed and care for endangered green and loggerhead turtles that occasionally wash ashore in Cape Town. The turtles prefer the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean, and cannot survive our colder temperatures. Surfers and beach goers deliver the turtles to the Aquarium, where Spiby rehabilitates them in specifically designed, heated tanks through tube and hand feeding, and around the clock TLC.

When the turtles are of a viable size, which can take up to a year, they are flown to KwaZulu-Natal, where the staff of uShaka Marine World release them back into the ocean, some 28km offshore.

The public should be reminded of the following protocol if you happen upon a stranded turtle:

• Place some DRY, soft material (i.e. sponge or cloth) in a suitably sized container with air holes
• Place the turtle on the soft material
• Cover the turtle with a DRY cloth
• Bring to the Aquarium as soon as possible
• At no point should the turtle be placed in water!

Have you entered our competition? We’re giving away an I&J voucher worth R200! 

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See also:

• Rescued sea turtles return home
• Stranded turtles: What to do
• Photos: Juvenile loggerhead turtles released back into the wild