Marion 

adult female Olive Ridley turtle (RB.LO.122), admitted 3 January 2018, Landaa Giraavaru, Baa Atoll, Maldives

Weight: 34.0kg (upon admission); 28.2kg (31-Jan);
Length: 62.7cm (upon admission); 62.7cm (31-Jan);

Marion was found tangled in a drifting ‘ghost’ fishing net, drifting near Landaa Giravaaru, and was rescued by team members of the Four Seasons Explorer. She had most likely been entangled in this discarded net for a long time, which left her with severe injuries. This female Olive Ridley arrived with deep lacerations around her front flippers and had to go through surgery the same day. Marion had her right front flipper amputated but is recovering well. She is very active and is already feeding, which is a good sign for a quick recovery.
Marion will remain under our care until she fully recovers from her injuries and is able to dive.

31 January 2018
Marion is very active, but has not been feeding properly and has lost some weight. She has not yet eaten any fish, and only takes live crabs.

Marion recovering in our rehabilitation pool after successful amputation surgery

March 2018

Marion is recovering very well from her injuries and her front flipper amputation. She is very active, and is now feeding on fish and lobster. She is sharing a pool with Pumpkin Pie and they are getting along very well.
Marion is still not diving down in her pool for food, but we are taking her out for rehabilitation swims in the lagoon to encourage diving behaviour.

May 2018

Marion continues to be very active and is in good overall health; she will be ready for release once her wounds have totally healed. Since early May, she is often to be seen resting at the bottom of her pool; she now dives very well to get food and has a good buoyancy control. She is in our long shallow pool with Chomper and they are getting along well together.

14 June 2018 – Release Day !

Marion has made excellent progress at our recovery centre over these last few weeks, and her wounds have healed very well. She was released today from the beach outside our Marine Discovery Centre, and was waved off by an excited crowd of guests. Once in the lagoon, Marion was eager to explore her new surroundings, and quickly swam out of sight. Bon voyage! 🙂