For this new year, exceptional arrival of Matau, a male olive ridley turtle ! This specie is more rarely observed in French Polynesia than the other species, since it is much more common off the coast than in lagoons. This turtle was found by a fisherman from Moorea off Tetiaroa, floating with an old hook stuck in its jaw.
We managed to remove this hook and named the sea turtle Matau, which means hook in Tahitian, in memory of its mishap. Matau is still floating and alternates phases in our care room and in a nursery of our rehabilitation lagoon, but it feels better and better and eats with appetite, so that we hope we can release it soon.
