A green turtle that briefly came to be known as Trev received the same expert care given to all of its species that arrive at Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in Auckland, but this time it was too little too late.
Trev, weighing eight kilos and so judged to be around five years old, was found at Waipapakauri Ramp (90 Mile Beach) last week. Dehydrated and low in calcium, it was assessed by a vet and given calcium, fluids and antibiotics before being flown to Auckland, but the outlook was never very promising according to aquarist Matt Harvey.
"Unfortunately Trev didn't make it," he said.
"He was only in the first stage of rehab, which involves a delicate heating and medical treatment plan. The first 24-48 hours after they arrive here are the most fragile."
Green turtles should never be sitting on New Zealand beaches, he added. Females came ashore to nest in specific areas, none of which were in New Zealand (which was too cold), so most turtles seen were very sick. Various factors were behind that, and were still being researched, but cold, shock, boat strikes and blockages from foreign objects like plastics were some of the potential issues.
