Bella

female Olive Ridley turtle (RB.LO.152), admitted 23 February 2019, Landaa Giraavaru, Baa Atoll, Maldives

Weight / Length: 27.9kg / 56.4cm (on admittance);

On the morning of 23 February, Landaa Giraavaru guests on a boat excursion spotted an Olive Ridley turtle floating on the ocean surface, completely tangled in a ghost net (discarded fishing gear).

The turtle was badly entangled and it took some time to cut her free from the net filaments. However, all 4 flippers were found to be intact and her wounds are relatively minor … a very lucky escape! On admittance to the recovery pools at our Centre, Bella seems active and healthy, and is able to dive below the water surface (not suffering from buoyancy syndrome).

We will keep Bella under close observation and we hope to release her very soon.