---

REHABILITATION OF TWO SEA TURTLES, RESCUED AND RELEASED IN SAGAMI BAY, JAPAN
Manami Sano, Madoka Kitajima, Toru Tokura, Fumio Terasawa, Chika Nishitani
Enoshima Aquarium

Enoshima Aquarium rescued one green turtle in 2016 and one loggerhead turtle in 2017 at Chigasaki city in Kanagawa. Here, we report details of the successful recovery and release of the turtles.

The juvenile green turtle was rescued at the Chigasaki port on the November 26, 2016. The turtle was measured for carapace length, weighed and bled. Since the turtle was debilitated and did not eat, it was taken to the aquarium and retained in the indoor tank filled with 26℃ water. The turtle was given algae and white leg shrimps (heads removed), and was injected with antibiotics and fluid into the subcutis every 1 to 2 days, three times in total. On the 7th day, the turtle started feeding, gaining weight, and swimming actively.
When this turtle was rescued, straight carapace length (SCL), straight carapace width (SCW) and weight were 423.0mm, 362.0mm and 10.35kg, respectively. The turtle recovered well, and on the 305th day, SCL, SCW, and weight were 452.6mm, 374.2mm, and 12.20kg respectively.
The juvenile loggerhead turtle was found stranded at the Chigasaki beach on the July 25, 2017. As this turtle was emaciated, covered with barnacles and debilitated, it was taken to the indoor tank which was continuously supplied with 26.4℃ sea water. After the turtle was measured for the carapace length, weighed and bled, antibiotics and fluid were injected into the sucutis and an X-ray photography was taken. In addition, we removed the barnacles attached by the nose of the turtle because they may have been interfering with the turtle’s respiration.
On the second day since the rescue, the turtle was given krill which were sprinkled with lactoferrin and nutritional supplements including calcium and vitamins. For the following days, the turtle was fed 3 times a day with krill,
manila clam, silver-stripe round herring, and shelled shrimp. At the time of the rescue, the turtle had a barnacle attached on the right eye. We removed the barnacle but a white spot remained on the eye. Initially, we suspected
poor eyesight or blindness of the turtle because it did not respond to an object placed by the right eye. However, its eyesight recovered as the white spot faded, and the turtle started swimming actively. Originally, SCL, SCW and body mass of this turtle were 145.9mm, 134.2mm and 0.55kg, respectively. After 57days of recovery, these parameters increased to 181.0mm, 160.8mm and 1.18kg, respectively.
Since the turtles appeared to have recovered, they were tagged with plastic flipper tags and PIT tags and released at approximately 8km off the Enoshima Island on the September 22, 2017.