Juanita 
juvenile Olive Ridley turtle (RB.LO.117), admitted 11 July 2017, Kandooma Resort, South Malé Atoll, Maldives
Weight: 10.2kg (upon admission); 10.8kg (August); 11.0kg (December); 12.5kg (Mar-18);
Length: 43.0cm (upon admission); 42.3cm (August); 42.7cm (December); 44.1cm (Mar-18);
Juanita, a juvenile Olive Ridley turtle, was found floating close to Kandooma Resort in South Male Atoll. She had likely been trapped in a drifting ghost fishing net, causing loss of her right front flipper, and lacerations to her carapace and hind flippers. She is very active, and has shown a healthy appetite from day one. Juanita will receive daily wound care and a round of antibiotics to help her recover and to improve the healing of her wounds.
August 2017
We are continuing treatment, and Juanita’s wounds are healing nicely. She is very active, has a great appetite and attempts to dive after the morsels of fish and lobster we offer as food.
September 2017
Juanita has proven to be a fighter! After losing her flipper, her wounds are now healing, she is very active and has a good appetite. She is starting to show some efforts to dive, and now looks lower in the water as she relaxes more.
Juanita has a good appetite for every kind of food we give her. She is still very buoyant, but is trying to dive for food in her recovery pool and also when we take her out for swims in the lagoon. She only has a wound on her front stump that is healing nicely.
Juanita has been moved to the long shallow pool with Vela, and was trying to bite Vela at first but they are now getting along. Beybe was added to the pool later on and Juanita doesn’t seem to mind.
April 2018
Juanita swims well in her pool, but is still very buoyant and unable to swim in the ocean, remaining floating at the surface. The wound on her front stump is healing nicely, and she has a deep pool all to herself as she does not get along with the other turtles. Juanita was slowly losing a little weight, so we are increasing her food portions.
We took Juanita to the local island of Eydhafushi for an X-ray, to try to diagnose her buoyancy syndrome. We think she is suffering from decompression sickness (‘the bends”) so we are researching possible treatments.
September 2018
Juanita is still as active and feisty as usual and has a big appetite! However, she doesn’t seems to be making any progress with her buoyancy and may be considered for the Flying Turtle programme.
20 September – Juanita (and Shaaru) were transferred to the Olive Ridley Project centre, for specialised veterinary care. Juanita has settled into her new home; she is active and eating well, but still very buoyant, sitting high in the water.
