Burrita

adult female Olive Ridley turtle (RB.LO.238), admitted 25 January 2023, N.Ari Atoll, Maldives

Weight / Length: 22.2kg / 57.4cm (on admittance);

On 25 January, Burrita arrived at our Turtle Rescue Centre (Kuda Huraa) via seaplane from W Resort (North Ari Atoll). Burrita had been found floating on the ocean surface and attempting to dive. She did not otherwise seem injured, with no lacerations or carapace damage, and has all four flippers healthy and intact.

In her recovery pool, Burrita shows high energy levels but is becoming stressed as she tries to dive down to the bottom. Once her appetite improves, we will start buoyancy training.

Burrita now has some damage on the skin around her nose, and she also appears to have a corneal ulcer which is being treated with eye ointment three times a day; she is recovering well from both of these issues.

February Updates

Burrita has had a stressful time, causing her to further injure herself by swimming against the walls of the tank. She has since stopped using her right front flipper, and it appears to be causing pain. To allow her more space and prevent further injury, she is now on her own in our largest rehabilitation tank.

Burrita has a good appetite, eating everything  – she enjoys hunting morsels from food pipes and ice blocks, both part of her training to help recover from buoyancy issues.