Rescuers bid farewell to rehabilitated turtles embarking on 1,400km journey

After two years of dedicated care, two rescued loggerhead turtles, Squirdle and Treasure, are ready to return to the wild. The pair will embark on a 1,400-kilometer journey to be released into the warm waters near Ningaloo Reef in Exmouth, Western Australia.

Squirdle and Treasure arrived at the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre exhausted and dehydrated, having been washed ashore during winter storms in 2024. Their recovery involved specialized care, with staff and volunteers becoming deeply attached to the marine animals.

"I'm trying not to cry," said marine rescue volunteer Yasmin Taylor, who helped care for the turtles. "Today is tough. I have helped in the care and animal husbandry of these guys, so I've become quite attached. It's a great thing, we have done our job, the centre is amazing with the rehabilitation side of things."

“

I'm trying not to cry. Today is tough. I have helped in the care and animal husbandry of these guys, so I've become quite attached. It's a great thing, we have done our job, the centre is amazing with the rehabilitation side of things.

Squirdle, missing a front flipper, required careful monitoring to ensure he could navigate the ocean. Treasure, initially slow to recover from shock, also received extensive veterinary assessments. Both turtles were cleared for release after checks confirmed no ingested plastics and good overall health.

Emily Ehlers from the Dolphin Discovery Centre emphasized the importance of bringing stranded turtles to wildlife carers. "The reason they've washed up is because they were kicked out of the Leeuwin Current, so they're generally going to be quite cold and exhausted," she explained. "If you just put them back in the ocean, it is almost 100 per cent likely they're going to die."

The release marks a significant success for conservation efforts, especially given the extremely low survival rate of loggerhead sea turtles, where only one in 1,000 hatchlings reach maturity.

“

The reason they've washed up is because they were kicked out of the Leeuwin Current, so they're generally going to be quite cold and exhausted. If you just put them back in the ocean, it is almost 100 per cent likely they're going to die.