Roxy

adult female Olive Ridley turtle, admitted January 2026, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives

Roxy is a large female Olive Ridley turtle, admitted to our turtle rescue centre at Kuda Huraa on 9 January. She was found floating on the ocean surface, with buoyancy as her only apparent health issue.

On 15 January, she was VIP-transferred to our Rehabilitation Centre at Landaa Giraavaru to undergo further diagnosis and treatment.

Roxy has all four flippers intact, but suffers from marked buoyancy syndrome. As she is unable to dive, barnacles were observed on her neck and other soft tissues upon arrival. These barnacles were removed, and the affected areas were cleaned. Some recent lacerations were observed on the rear flippers caused by friction against the carapace; however, these are expected to heal without complications.

Roxy did not eat for some time after arrival, although she has now started to show interest. She is currently being fed prawns, as she rejects baitfish, but we will attempt a gradual transition so she can receive all necessary nutrients.

February Updates

Roxy is still showing little interest in food, so we are maintaining her diet mainly of prawns. Despite the care of the wounds, they show a considerable amount of fibrinous tissue and little improvement, so we have started a combined treatment with two antibiotics to see if any improvement can be observed.

March

Due to the lack of improvement in the wounds and the unknown origin of the infection, Roxy was quarantined to a blue tub as a precaution, in case the condition could be contagious to other patients. This also allowed for frequent wound cleaning using iodine and honey. During these few weeks, Roxy was not eating properly. Continuous wound care was carried out, and blood tests were also performed.
Over the course of this month, the wounds in the soft tissue have shown improvement; however, the lesions on the carapace continue to become infected frequently. To address this, treatment with antibiotic ointment and petroleum jelly has been initiated to trial new treatment methods. Following Kottu’s release and Udhares being moved out to the sea pen, a blue pool became available for Roxy alone, reducing any risk of infection to other turtles.

April

Roxy’s soft tissue wounds healed adequately, however, lesions on the carapace persisted throughout the month, with gradual improvement over time. Her appetite remained low, with a preference for prawns and infrequent feeding behaviour. The buoyancy disorder showed no significant improvement.
Toward the end of the month, a decision was made to initiate antibiotic treatment, as blood test results were within acceptable parameters to proceed. Unfortunately, Roxy died on 28 April. The cause of death was not conclusively determined following necropsy; however, a severe, systemic infection was identified, affecting multiple organs and body cavities, including the heart and liver.