What to do when you find Stranded Sea turtles

On the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa thousands of loggerhead and leatherbacksea turtles hatch. 
They head to sea and are carried southward by the warm Agulhas Current. Many of these hatchlings find themselves stranded on beaches of the Cape's South Coast. 

Photo:  This baby Loggerhead turtle was found on Grotto Beach 

What to do if you spot a stranded turtle

• Remove the turtle from the beach
• Keep it dry and at room temperature – DO NOT place the turtle in water
• DO put it onto a towel and into a container like a 5 litre ice cream tub that has breathing holes.
• DO NOT put water or sand in the container
• Make a note of exactly where the turtle was found.
• At the Two Oceans Aquarium, the stranded turtles are rehabilitated until they are strong and healthy. They are then sent to uShaka Sea World in Durban where they are released into the warmer waters off the KwaZulu-Natal coast.

DROP OFF POINTS FOR OVERSTRAND AREA:

• South African Shark Conservancy, Old Harbour, Hermanus, Tel 028 312 302902 
• African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary - APSS in Gansbaai, Tel 072 598 7117 
• Alternatively, contact the Environmental Management Section of Overstrand Municipality on 028 316 3724 (o/h) or the Control Room 028 313 8000/8111 or Emergency Control Room on 028 312 2400 (a/h)
• After hours contact Tarron Dry: 083 366 9490