Kottu

juvenile Olive Ridley turtle, admitted 15 December 2025, Raa Atoll, Maldives

Kottu is a juvenile Olive Ridley turtle found entangled in ghost fishing nets in Raa Atoll on 15 December. From the outset, the turtle was active and responsive. Upon arrival, wound cleaning was performed, and the turtle was treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication, and fluids for rehydration.

All of Kottu’s flippers showed signs of injury; the hind flippers presented mild lacerations, while the front flippers were more severely affected; however, full mobility was maintained. The carapace displayed some areas of exposed bone; some of these areas could be easily debrided, revealing healed tissue beneath. In certain areas, the bone was already absent, while in others it remained intact.

January 2026 Updates

Kottu continues to dive without any issues, and her appetite remains high. Wound cleaning has been performed on the injuries. Regarding the front flippers, a significant improvement has been observed. They are healing very well and without any complications. Although the wounds are still deep, a marked improvement can be seen compared to her condition upon arrival. Wound care will continue so that she can be released as soon as possible.

February

Kottu’s wounds have almost completely healed. She maintains a good appetite and continues diving and resting on the bottom of the tank. We will assess moving her to the sea pen to ensure she is diving properly while we wait for her wounds to fully heal.

28 March … Release Day!

Kottu’s wounds are now fully healed, so she was successfully released from the beach on 28 March. We attached a satellite tag to the carapace, and from the data we received, we could see that after 2 days she was approaching Noonu Atoll.

To follow Kottu’s journey, see our interactive map page.