Turtle Strandings

Please be advised that we have already received two baby loggerhead turtles (from Pearly Beach). There is also one from Breede River. It is that time of the year so we appeal to all those who walk, fish, run, do clean ups etc on the beach to keep your eyes open. See more info below on what to do then please drop off at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary - APSS, the drop off point for Gansbaai, and the team will ensure they get to the Two Oceans Aquarium. APSS Rescue line: 0725987117.

Once you have found a tiny turtle on the beach around the Cape Town coast, it needs rehabilitation. The first thing to do is to remove the turtle from the beach and place it in a dry container where it cannot drown. 
Keep it at room temperature to warm up slowly. These turtles are most likely suffering from hypothermia, which makes them weak; in most instances they are so weak that they cannot lift their heads. 
Turtles breathe air, just like us, and if a turtle cannot lift its head out of the water, it cannot breathe and will drown.

As the winter months approach the incidence of turtle strandings increases. Juvenile turtles (mainly loggerheads) are swept down from the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal (where they hatch) in the mighty Agulhas Current and are washed ashore by stormy seas. They are often in a weak condition, having been exposed to cold water and are suffering from dehydration.
The Aquarium rehabilitates these turtles in preparation for their release back into the warm ocean. The turtles range in size from 25g up to 80kg. Rehabilitation can last more than a year, depending on the needs of each individual, as some are not only suffering from hypothermia but are also injured and require treatment.