Jet skiers rescue 'bloody' and 'peeling' turtle on Magnetic Island

A group of jet skiers on a tour of Magnetic Island made a heartwarming discovery when they stumbled upon a distressed green sea turtle. Initially fearing the worst, Andrew Eslick, the tour guide, approached the creature only to find it alive but severely unwell.

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We get closer to it and I think, 'Oh no, this turtle's not moving. I think I'm about to show everyone a dead turtle.'

The turtle, later affectionately named 'Princess Peach' by Eslick's young son, was found on Maud Bay beach. Its shell was soft, peeling like wet paper, and covered in bloody patches, indicating a serious infection. The group immediately decided to help, securing a lifeguard ski to transport the large turtle, which weighed over a hundred kilos.

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Her shell started having little bloody patches all over it where her shell had become soft and peeled off like wet paper.

They brought Princess Peach back to Horseshoe Bay, where staff from the local turtle hospital were waiting. This is not the first time Eslick has rescued a turtle; he previously saved one named 'Betty' six months prior. The turtle hospital noted that each rescue seems to involve a larger animal than the last.

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It took a group effort to get her onto this board because she weighed over a hundred kilos, she was a big turtle.

Lily Donnelly, coordinator at the Magnetic Island Network for Turtles, is overseeing Princess Peach's recovery. She stated that the turtle, estimated to be between 50 and 80 years old, is healing well from its shell infection, though the exact cause is still under investigation. Standard recovery time is less than 12 weeks, with the goal of releasing the turtle back into the wild as soon as possible. Once healed, Princess Peach will be tagged for ongoing monitoring, a common practice under Queensland government regulations.

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We're actually still trying to find out what the causative agent of her infection is, but she is healing well in care.