Fiya 

Fiya (RB.EI.018), rescue Hawksbill turtle, admitted 21/10/2016, Kurumathi, Ari Atoll, Maldives

Fiya arrived active and in great body condition however suffered two deep lacerations to the right front flipper from being entangled in fishing line. The wounds were fresh upon arrival; they were cleaned and treated with medihoney.

To continue to provide our turtles with the best care, we are now the proud owner of a ‘sea turtle stretcher’. Made from a 6-point racing harness bolted to a durable PVC board, this keeps the turtles secure, allowing staff to complete treatments and will be utilised for releases of larger turtles. Fiya was our first patient to use the new stretcher during wound care treatments.

Updates November 2016: Fiya has not shown interest in food since arrival resulting in a loss of 1.5kg of weight. The wounds have responded well to treatments which have been decreased in frequency.

Updates December 2016: Fiya was successfully released back into the ocean on 28 December, after 68 days of care at our turtle rehabilitation Centre.

The front flipper healed well, using a combination of medihoney application and debridement (removal of dead tissue) on a regular basis. Fiya was feisty throughout care, and there was no exception during release when s/he swam off immediately into the clear blue Maldivian waters.