Turtle Release

Throughout the years, the team at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarltons Auckland have worked tirelessly to rehabilitate multiple majestic turtles back into our wonderful oceans. Here's a Timeline of those releases! 

Did you know there was a whole day just for turtles? Find out more here!

Want to find out about the different roles turtles play in our oceans? Click here!

We started our turtle rehabilitation programme here at Kelly Tarlton's back in 1995 to treat the growing number of sick or injured turtles being washed up around New Zealand's waters. 

All of the marine turtles found in New Zealand's waters are classed as endangered. Green turtles are the species we see the most here in our rehab unit, but we also treat hawksbill and loggerhead turtles.

The turtles come to us with a wide range of issues, from general poor condition, often due to the effects of pollution or having ingested rubbish in the ocean, or with injuries sustained from boat strikes and attacks by predators. Sadly, many of them suffer from issues related to human activity.

Join us as we go through the years of our turtle rehabilitation and releases! 

2012

We successfully released two endangered Sea Turtles on Wednesday 15 February. Click below to play footage of the release.

2013

Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium released 5 turtles back into the ocean at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve in the Bay of Islands.

2016

With the support of the SEA LIFE Trust, Kelly Tarlton's staff released three sea turtles into the protected waters of the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, having successfully been nursed back to health - for some a journey of 18 months.

A Hawksbill Sea Turtle who was nursed back to health over a period of two years at Kelly Tarlton's was released from New Zealand's offshore Kermadec Islands

The juvenile Hawksbill, named 'Koha' by Ngati Kuri iwi, meaning a gift going home to the ocean guardian Kiwa, was found stranded at Glinks Gully near Dargaville in September 2014, in a severely lethargic and emaciated state. Their journey back to health included being flown to Auckland for initial assessment at Auckland Zoo's Centre for Conservation Medicine before two years of care at Kelly Tarlton's, with the support of the SEA LIFE Trust.

2018

Oscar and Kiwa, two Green sea turtles, were released off the coast of Tutukaka, in the Poor Knights marine reserve.

Named ‘Oscar the Grouch’ and ‘Kiwa’ (one of several male guardians of the oceans), both turtles have spent a combined 1,190 days in rehabilitation at Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s Turtle Rehabilitation centre.

Oscar – who was known for his happy disposition and large appetite – was found on 90 Mile beach suffering from infected fractures on his rear flippers, cold shock and he was underweight.

Kiwa – who loved a good back scratch - was also suffering from dehydration, cold shock and was underweight with a severe eye infection.

Thankfully, through months of intensive rehabilitation, Oscar and Kiwa passed their final health checks with flying colours including gaining a combined 15 kilograms, bringing them both up a healthy weight range.

2019

SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Auckland and SEA LIFE Trust has successfully released three turtles – Toby, Jaxon and Connie – following two years of collective rehabilitation.

After passing their pre-release health checks with flying colours, the three turtles were released off the coast of Tutukaka, catching the current into an off-shoot of the Australian Eastern Current complete with a karakia from the local Ngātiwai. Just like their rehabilitation journeys, the three turtle friends all have distinct personalities and have gone from strength to strength during their combined 887 days in SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s rehabilitation centre.

First up is Toby, a young green sea turtle who was found outside Whangarei in July 2018. Despite his small size, Toby is packed full of attitude and spent most of his time scratching his back against his favourite rock in his Turtle Rescue display.

Second is Jaxon the loggerhead turtle who stole the hearts of the team since his arrival in an ice-cream container in October 2017. Jaxon was found stranded at 90 Mile Beach with a severe lung infection. Following several weeks of treatment, Jaxon regained his attitude and size, growing from 1.89 kilograms to a healthy 7.32 kilograms.

Lucky last is Connie the green sea turtle who was with SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s from December 2018. Although her stay has been short but sweet, Connie overcame her severe digestion and oedema issues in leaps and bounds. Connie’s intelligence, grace and friendly nature has captured the hearts of the turtle team since her arrival.

During their time in SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Turtle Rescue Centre, the trio served as ambassadors for the marine species, educating the public on the plight of their wild counterparts through daily turtle education talks. SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarist, Alyssa Berimballi, said it is always rewarding to see journeys like these come to a positive end, particularly after many months of rehabilitation.

2020

Calvin the Green Sea Turtle was successfully released into the ocean at Rangiputa Beach by the affectionately named ‘Team Turtle’, a collaborative effort from SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s, the Department of Conservation, Auckland Zoo, and iwi, with generous support from Countdown. 

After passing his pre-release health check with flying colours, Calvin embarked on the 4.5 hour drive to Rangiputa, north of Kaitaia, where he was released with assistance from local school children and iwi.

Calvin first came into care at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in November 2018, after he was rescued in New Zealand’s Far North and received initial treatment at Auckland Zoo’s vet hospital, the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine.

At the time of his rescue, Calvin was in the worst condition of any turtle cared for at the aquarium, weighing just 11kg, but after 14 months of continuous monitoring and rehabilitation, the staff at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s were amazed at his progress.

“For the last 14 months, our dedicated team has worked closely with Calvin to nurse him back to health, and I’m incredibly pleased to report that he now weighs an impressive 20kg!” says SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Head Curator, Andrew Christie. “To get him this far has not been easy. For over a year, he has endured intensive care from both our staff, and the team at the Auckland Zoo, involving tube feeding, CT scans and numerous blood tests.”

“Watching Calvin swim into the distance was a huge relief for all of those who have worked tirelessly nursing him back to health, but despite today’s positive outcome, not all turtles are as lucky.” Says Christie.

2021

Two rescued sea turtles were released back into the ocean after undergoing successful rehabilitation stints at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. 

A team from the Aquarium were joined by kaumatua of Ngātiwai for the heart-warming release of Kibou and Spock, who returned to the ocean off the coast of Tutukaka after receiving a karakia.

Ocean Youth participants and Auckland Zoo veterinary staff also helped give the turtles a delightful send-off. 

Kibou is a loggerhead turtle who was found stranded on Muriwai Beach and came to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s in October 2019 suffering from a severe shoulder wound and a nasty lung infection. Following urgent treatment at Auckland Zoo’s vet hospital, the team nursed him back to health with intensive care and antibiotic treatments, eventually helping him to recover and gain an impressive 13kgs ahead of his release. 

Spock is a green sea turtle who was also found on Muriwai Beach and came to the team in September 2020. Spock had serious injuries to the digits on both of her front flippers, which had to be amputated. Thanks to the amputation, Spock made a full recovery and was ready to return to the ocean.

According to Louise Greenshields from SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s, the annual turtle release is always an incredibly rewarding experience and this year was no different.

“It’s always emotional when we release turtles back into the ocean as it’s a time for us to reflect on how far they have come during the rehabilitation process. Our team of Aquarists work with these turtles every day and form a genuine attachment so Kibou and Spock will certainly be missed but we wish them all the very best,” said Louise Greenshields.

“I would love to say that all turtles are as lucky as Kibou and Spock but unfortunately that’s not the case as there are significant threats facing turtles in the wild. Most of the turtles that come through our Turtle Rehabilitation Centre have been affected by human impacts of some kind, whether it be boat strikes, entanglement, plastic ingestion or habitat destruction. Our aim is to educate the public and encourage behavioural change.”

2022

Three rescued sea turtles were released back into the ocean after undergoing successful rehabilitation stints at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium with the veterinary support of Auckland Zoo.

Team Turtle were joined by kaumatua of Ngātiwai and students from Te Kura o Waikare for the heartwarming release of Puck, Taka and Delta who returned to the ocean at Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.

Puck is a loggerhead sea turtle who was found washed up on 90 Mile Beach in July 2020. Found while a young hatchling, Puck was covered in large goose barnacles and even a hitchhiking crab! Initially treated at Auckland Zoo’s veterinary hospital, Puck arrived at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s weighing just 180g and measuring 9cm long. It is very uncommon to see turtle hatchlings in New Zealand due to the cold water temperatures. The goal of Team Turtle was to help Puck grow big and strong enough to be released back into the ocean, and at a very healthy 2.2kg Puck was ready to return home.

Taka is an eastern Pacific green sea turtle who was found washed up on Takapuna Beach in May 2020. In a critically ill condition (he had pneumonia and system infection), he was brought into Auckland Zoo’s vet hospital by Department of Conservation staff for urgent treatment and stabilisation, ahead of moving to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s for long-term rehabilitation. Taka then stopped using his front left flipper and CT scans revealed he had an infection of the bone. Following a range of intensive treatments and care Taka regained full use of this flipper and scans confirmed that the infection had cleared. Taka, who weighed just 26kg when found, then weighed a massive 52 kg and was ready to be released back into the ocean.

Delta is a green sea turtle who washed up on Piha Beach in September 2021 looking and feeling very lethargic and covered in algae with suspected cold shock. After urgent treatment and stabilisation at Auckland Zoo, Delta arrived at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s weighing 9.8kg and after lots of TLC from the team, had increased her body temperature, she ate well and weighed in at a healthy 14kg. Delta was thriving in Turtle Bay alongside the others prior to her ocean release.

Puck, Taka and Delta were first treated at Auckland Zoo’s Centre for Conservation Medicine before moving to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium for their rehabilitation.  At the aquarium they were ambassadors for their species, helping educate guests on the need for conservation and protection. Now that the trio have returned to the ocean, Turtle Bay is still a temporary home to rescued sea turtles until they too are ready to return to sea

Connie the green sea turtle was released back into the ocean after her second round of rehabilitation by the team at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. She was released at Rangiputa Beach.

Connie was originally rescued in December 2018, stranded in Henderson Bay weighing just 18kg. After this first rescue and rehabilitation by the SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s team, Connie was released at Poor Knights Island Marine Reserve in March 2019.

Connie's Release 2022 

Almost two years later, in November 2020, Connie was found stranded yet again, this time just 9km from where she was originally found. After this second rescue, Connie has stayed in the care of the Turtle Rehabilitation team for the past 16 months.

When Connie was rescued in November 2020, she was found to have problems with her digestion, likely caused by the ingestion of non-edible particles such as plastic. Connie was also suffering from chronic pneumonia, which can be a common illness seen in sea turtles during the cold winter months.

After initial tests and treatments by the veterinary team at Auckland Zoo, Connie was transferred to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s to spend time in New Zealand’s only rescue turtle rehabilitation facility. Connie was tube fed by the team daily in order to gain strength, and once Connie had fought off the pneumonia and her digestive system was cleared, the team focused on seeing Connie gain some much needed weight and building her physical strength swimming with the other turtles in care.

While undergoing treatment, Connie proved herself to be a very active sea turtle – a strong swimmer with great buoyancy and a hearty appetite. At the time, Connie weighed a very healthy 45kg!

2023

Smee the rehabilitated Green Sea Turtle was released  back into the ocean in Tauranga.

The turtle – affectionately named after Captain Hook’s best friend – was initially triaged by the team at Auckland Zoo who found two fishing hooks that had been ingested. Both hooks were successfully removed and Smee’s health has gone from strength to strength in SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.

The green turtle, named Te Ahuru (which translates from te reo Māori to English, Te Ahuru meaning ‘to protect and nurture’), was found washed up on the shores of Rangaunu Harbour, Te Tai Tokerau – a shallow harbour located in the far north of New Zealand. Located on its carapace (upside down), the marine turtle was swiftly transported to Auckland Zoo, where its veterinary team conducted a thorough assessment, noting mild dehydration and slight buoyancy issues.

After 9 days' care at the Zoo, Te Ahuru moved temporarily to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, where a comprehensive care plan was implemented. During its 9 months stay, Te Ahuru received carefully proportioned meals to support growth and constant monitoring to track its progress. Delighting the rehab team, Te Ahuru’s weight increased from 13 kilograms to a healthy 19.1 kilograms – the desired weight for a green turtle to be released back into the wild.

In preparation for the release, a plan was devised, consulting with Ngai Takoto and the Department of Conservation, as marine turtles are seen as a tohu (sign) for protection and longevity. Following a karanga (welcoming call), school students, hapu and whānau (local communities and their extended families) supported Te Ahuru into the waters off Kaimaumau Beach with waiata – a fitting farewell for this taonga species. "The successful release of Te Ahuru is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of the veterinary team at Auckland Zoo, as well as the unwavering commitment to conservation shown by all parties involved," said Tyler Hall, Aquarist – SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s.

“We are immensely proud of Te Ahuru's progress and believe that it serves as an inspiration to us all."

“It’s always such a great team effort to help endangered marine turtles like Te Ahuru, and so rewarding when they’re able to be released back to the wild", says Auckland Zoo veterinary services manager, Dr James Chatterton. “If given the chance, green turtles can live up to 80 years, and we certainly hope that Te Ahuru will be long-lived and able to breed and contribute to the future of her species.”

The rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick and injured marine turtles in New Zealand is a collaborative effort from Team Turtle, which includes SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s, the Department of Conservation, Auckland Zoo with iwi engagement. Team Turtle urges people to report injured or stranded turtles to the DOC emergency hotline on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).