Winnie

Olive Ridley turtle, admitted February 2026, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives

Winnie, an olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) was admitted in mid-February from Vaavu Atoll. Upon arrival, she presented a combination of old and recent injuries:
– a large healed cut on the right side of the carapace, likely caused by a boat strike, leaving a noticeable scar.
– moderately healed lesions on both front flippers near the shoulder joints, consistent with past entanglement (likely several weeks to months old).
– fresh, actively bleeding wounds affecting both front flippers, the neck, and the left eye. These injuries involved multiple fractures and extensive tissue damage, with necrotic tissue removed during initial treatment.

The recent wounds appear consistent with a predation attempt, likely by a shark, as confirmed by the extraction of a shark tooth fragment from the affected eye corner. Given Winnie’s poor condition, lack of appetite, critically low haematocrit, and evidence of sepsis, the prognosis is currently poor. She remains under continuous monitoring, receiving wound care and systemic antibiotics.

WARNING: graphic images

March Updates

During the month of March, Winnie has remained in a critical condition, but with signs of positive progression. Both the clinical presentation and laboratory findings are consistent with a septic state, however, the various wounds have begun to heal appropriately, and granulation tissue is developing satisfactorily. Supportive care will be continued over the coming month, alongside ongoing antibiotic therapy. We are awaiting an improvement in appetite that will allow voluntary feeding to resume, which should help accelerate recovery.

April

Winnie showed significant improvement throughout the month of April. Clinical signs of recovery have become increasingly evident, and activity levels have improved noticeably. The infection now appears to be under control, and the wounds have improved substantially. Additionally, one of the clearest indicators of recovery has been the marked improvement in appetite observed throughout the month. We will continue to monitor her closely over the coming weeks to assess ongoing progress and response to treatment.

May

Winnie has continued to show great improvement. Her appetite has remained stable, activity levels have increased, and she has become increasingly interactive with visitors. After almost three months, antibiotic therapy has been successfully discontinued following normalisation of her white blood cell count and other positive clinical signs. Some blood parameters still require further improvement, which is expected considering the severity of her initial condition and the naturally slow metabolism of sea turtles. Her recovery continues to progress steadily, and we remain optimistic about her ongoing improvement.

June

Winnie continued to make good progress throughout the month. The most significant improvement this month was seen in her blood parameters, particularly the marked increase in her haematocrit, reflecting a steady improvement in her overall health. In addition, we introduced dive training sessions using environmental enrichment to encourage natural diving behaviour and support her rehabilitation. At the same time, her wounds continue to heal well and are progressing as expected.
With several turtle releases scheduled in the coming weeks, we hope to move her to the main rehabilitation tank soon, where the additional space will allow her to continue rebuilding her physical condition and move one step closer to release.

July

Winnie has continued to make steady progress throughout July. Our main focus has been on improving her diving abilities; although she is not yet able to fully submerge, her progress has been slow and consistent. Due to the significant loss of flipper tissue caused by the severe shark attack injuries, she faces an additional challenge during this stage of her rehabilitation. Nevertheless, her appetite remains excellent and her wounds continue to improve. We will continue working on her diving abilities and remain optimistic about bringing further good news in the coming months.

August

Winnie has continued with her regular diving training throughout the month. We have also incorporated weight therapy into her rehabilitation, combining it with her swimming exercises, which has proven to be a very successful addition to her treatment. For most of the month, her progress has remained steady and consistent.
Towards the end of the month, following an air extraction procedure, her buoyancy unexpectedly worsened rather than improved. Winnie is particularly sensitive to stress, and we believe this may have contributed to the setback. We will continue monitoring her closely and working on her diving abilities, and we look forward to sharing further updates on her progress next month.