In April, the Two Oceans Turtle Conservation Centre will host a special fundraising swim event to raise awareness and support for protecting sea turtles, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Set to take place between 14 and 28 April, the swimmers will take on an 11km ocean swim from Robben Island to Granger Bay, where the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Turtle Conservation Centre will operate.
The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Conservation Manager, Talitha Noble-Trull, states, ‘The new Turtle Conservation Centre will significantly expand our ability to rescue, rehabilitate, and release sea turtles.’
‘It also creates an opportunity for the public to engage more deeply with conservation and understand the journey these animals take back to the wild.’
The swimmers’ journey from Robben Island to Granger Bay is meant to parallel the journey of the turtles, with Executive Chairperson Ann Lamont explaining, ‘The commitment shown by these swimmers reflects the resilience we see in every turtle we treat.
‘It’s a reminder that conservation is a collective effort, and that small actions, when combined, can have a lasting impact.‘
Essential components of turtle rehabilitation, such as veterinary care, specialised nourishment, and the resources needed to prepare turtles for release back into the wild, will be supported by funds raised through the swim event.
The public is encouraged to track the swimmers’ journey and lend support to their efforts to aid in the recovery of the turtles. All donations, regardless of amount, support the care and rehabilitation of turtles of the Turtle Conservation Centre.
Donations can be made online here.
What is going on with the sea turtles?
From the time they hatch, sea turtles encounter enormous obstacles, with only one or two out of every 1 000 hatchlings surviving to adulthood. After being uprooted from the warmer Agulhas Current, hundreds of hatchlings frequently arrive ashore along the Cape coast each year, malnourished, exhausted, and stunned by the cold. Most wouldn’t make it without help.
The Turtle Conservation Centre has played a significant role in marine conservation in South Africa. With their team of ten full-time employees, around 90 volunteers, and over 2 000 members of the Turtle Rescue Network, the programme has played a vital role in protecting the endangered species, successfully rescuing and rehabilitating over 1 300 turtles.
These turtles are not kept in captivity. Once they have been fully rehabilitated, they are released into the Cape Peninsula’s warmer currents.
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