Te Mana O Te Moana

Transporting a turtle aboard Tauati ferry

helene — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 21:41:00 +0000

As part of our partnership with Tauati ferry, we regularly travel between Tahiti and Moorea.

This collaboration allows our team members residing in Moorea to reach our organization free of charge, as well as facilitates the transportation of injured turtles during rescues.

This week, during its release in Opunohu Bay, Pereiti, a hawksbill turtle we cared for at our rehabilitation center, traveled from Tahiti to Moorea aboard the ferry.

Thank you to the Tauati Ferry team !

A green turtle died on a beach in Moorea

Jehdia Teikiotiu — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 01:00:00 +0000

A young green turtle, aged between 5 and 10 years, measuring 48 cm in shell length and weighing 9 kg, was found by Claude, a local resident of Maatea in Moorea, early in the morning on Wednesday, October 2. It was lying on the beach, lethargic and barely moving.

Upon the arrival of Cécile, the founder and one of the permanent veterinarians of Te mana o te moana, a few moments later, she confirmed the animal’s death.The turtle was in a state of severe emaciation, and its shell was covered in algae, indicating its inability to dive for several weeks, as well as abnormal and unbalanced buoyancy.

During the autopsy conducted that same morning, the cause of death was immediately identified: a digestive obstruction caused by recurrent ingestion of plastic.

The details of the autopsy reveal that this turtle had accumulated plastic debris over the years, particularly pieces of plastic bags that became entangled, leading to reduced feeding, chronic weight loss, and ultimately a complete cessation of digestive transit, resulting in its death.Nothing could have been done to save this turtle, but the observation remains alarmingly consistent: since our establishment in 2004, we have seen an increasing number of turtles found dead in French Polynesia due to plastic ingestion! It is high time to act, and on a large scale !

Here returns to the ocean after 5 months at the Care center

Jehdia Teikiotiu — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 01:57:01 +0000

Welcomed at the Sea turtles care center at the end of September 2022 with an open shell wound due to a boat propeller, HERE’s health was very worrying her internal organs, including her lungs, were visible through the wound.

After several weeks of treatment in the care room, HERE’s wound started to get better and she joined the rehabilitation pool with good energy. Medical treatment applied daily to her wound allowed a rapid healing and her transfer to the release pool 2 months later.

At the beginning of March, HERE was finally ready to return to the ocean for the greatest satisfaction of our team and of Hereiti from Moorea Manahere Adventure who had saved her 5 months earlier.

A beautiful release off Opunohu bay surrounded by other green turtles who looked like they had come to welcome HERE

All the best to HERE

Partners : Pacific Beachcomber, Vilebrequin, Vilebrequin Fondation, Air Tahiti Nui, ifbd, Jean-François Clervoy, Frank Lehot, Laboratoires de Biarritz, Hinerava, Univairmer, The Brando, Tetiaroa Society, Polynesie Voyages, Manahei créations.

Arrival of emerging turtles to the Sea turtle care center

Jehdia Teikiotiu — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:56:04 +0000

On January 9th, 2023, we welcomed 5 new emerging turtles from Tetiaroa to the Moorea Sea turtle care center. The teams named them Aoru, Kanahau, Tani, Lanikai and Po

Aoru, Kanahau and Tani come from Horoatera motu. Aoru was found completely stuck in a seashell with a wound in her neck and a slight shell deformity. Kanahau was found stuck in the nest by pebbles with a deficient fin. Tani was also found blocked in the nest by stones with a slight deformation and a paralized immobile fin.

Lanikai and Po, meanwhile, come from motu Onetahi. They were both found stuck at the bottom of the nest between roots. Lanikai was found with a bent fin and Po with an inflexible fin.

Following the care provided to our young residents for almost 3 weeks, these 5 green turtles are regaining strength and we hope they will be able to join the ocean in a few months.

Welcome to Aoru, Kanahau, Tani, Lanikai and Po!

Partners: Direction de l’Environnement Polynésie Française, Pacific Beachcomber, Moorea Dolphin Center, Jean-François Clervoy, Vilebrequin, Fondation Vilebrequin, Frank Lehot, Air Tahiti Nui, Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, Les Laboratoires de Biarritz, Nomad Costmetics, IFBD, Manahei Creations, Univairmer

Te mana ori goes back to the ocean

helene — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 23:59:57 +0000

We are delighted to announce the departure of Te mana ori for the ocean!

Te mana ori joined the Care center in December 2021 after being found stranded on a beach in Vaiare in Moorea by a local resident.

Two arrow impacts on the top of her head due to a poaching attempt revealed the bone. The particularity of Te mana ori is that she has her right fin amputated, a wound that was already perfectly healed when she arrived at the Care centre.

Wild turtles with amputated fins are not rare. It is however impossible to say in what context the amputation happened. This may be right out of the nest due to crab predation for example, due to an accidental injury or a predation in the ocean.

For about 6 months, Te mana ori had been doing some rehabilitation exercises to teach her how to dive again. Equipped with ballasts which weight was gradually decreased, she learned how to dive, swim underwater and feed herself again.

𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡, 𝙏𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙤𝙧𝙞 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣.

Equipped with a satellite GPS to follow her trajectory thanks to the Direction de l’Environnement Polynésie Française, we should be able to give you news in the coming months.

To be continued…

5 turtles injured due to boat collisions in 2 months arrived at the Care center

helene — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 23:36:08 +0000

** PLEASE SHARE **

In September 2022, 2 green turtles were welcomed to the Moorea Sea turtle care center. First, Hélice, a sub-adult green turtle joined the Center after her 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 following a fatal injury from a boat propeller. Hélice had been seen alive by a boat excursion company but unfortunately could not be immediately recovered. Looking at what was left of her body from post-mortem natural predation, the obvious collision with a boat’s propeller was confirmed.

Also in September, Yo, a sub-adult green sea turtle was found dead on Paopao beach in Moorea with a 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 to her shell. Given the injury, a boat collision leaves little doubt.

In October 2022, Here joined the Care Center. She had a 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 on her shell revealing internal organs, including her lungs. Again, given the type of injury, a collision with a boat is the most likely hypothesis.

That same month, Lilly joined our residents after being picked up by Nemoz diving club with a 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 located on her 4th vertebral scale. The dent again is typical of a collision case.

Finally, at the beginning of November, Jo Iti joined the Center following a 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝘆 looking once again like it was created by a collision.

This succession of individuals found injured or dead in Moorea lagoon suggests a clear link between the growing presence of turtles in Moorea lagoon and an excessive speed observed and reported on several occasions; a speed that is limited to 5 knots.

𝙒𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙖 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 !

News from our young residents

helene — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:11:18 +0000

𝘼’𝙖𝙪 and 𝙆𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 were found on Horoatera motu on Tetiaroa atoll. A’au was found with a deformity (a “belly button” protruding from the breastplate) while Kiana had been predated by a crab in her right eye and on the top of her head. They both arrived to the Sea turtle care center on January 31st, 2022.

𝙃𝙤𝙖𝙠𝙖, on the other hand, was found on Onetahi motu on Tetiaroa atoll. She joined the Care center on March 07th, 2022 after suffering from a crab predation in her right eye.

Following 10 months of care provided by Te mana o te moana team, these 3 green turtles are now in great shape and ready to return to the ocean!

Although Kiana and Hoaka have lost sight in their right eye, they are now fully able to feed themselves, swim properly, and live a life in the wilderness in the heart of the Pacific Ocean.

Porites returns to the ocean with the help of Vaimalama Chaves

helene — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:31:09 +0000

It is with great joy that we announce the departure of Porites for the big blue!

The team was able to say their goodbyes during a moving moment shared with Vaimalama Chaves, Nicolas Fleury and the local residents who had taken her in.

Porites joined the Care center in December 2021 following an injury due to a spear in the neck and a buoyancy issue. She was unable to dive. After months of rehabilitation with weights placed on her shell to teach her how to dive again, Porites returned to the Pacific ocean.

We wish her a long life!

𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

News from Porites

helene — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 01:22:59 +0000

In November 2021, we welcomed Porites to the Sea turtle care center after she was found apathetic in the Maatea lagoon in Moorea. On examination, a harpoon gun arrow impact had been identified on the neck. Medical treatments were initiated and the respect of a strict rest in the treatment room allowed her to recover quickly and she was able to join the outdoor pools and swim freely.

Unfortunately, a buoyancy issue appeared and Porites had significant difficulty diving.Rehabilitation treatments were immediately put in place: weights between 0.5 kg and 1.5 kg were placed daily on her shell in order to ballast her and help her to dive again. This technique combined with daily exercises carried out by the care center technician and volunteers allowed her little by little to dive back. After 6 months of ballast, Porites is now diving normally and evolving naturally in the release pool.

She should be back in the ocean in the next few weeks.

We will be sure to keep you informed.

https://youtu.be/quvVdC04m88

Partners: Direction de l’Environnement Polynésie Française, Pacific Beachcomber, Moorea Dolphin Center, Jean-François Clervoy, Vilebrequin, Frank Lehot, Air Tahiti Nui, Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, Les Laboratoires de Biarritz, Nomad Costmetics, IFBD

Do you know how to tell a green turtle from a hawksbill turtle?

helene — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 23:17:59 +0000

Learn how to differentiate a green turtle from a hawksbill turtle. It’s easy!

With these 4 key differences, you will now be able to distinguish them if you have the chance to observe them in fenua waters.

Green turtles have a rounded face while hawksbill turtles have a hooked beak.
Green turtles are larger: they can reach 1.2m and 120kg, while hawksbill turtles reach 0.9m and 90kg.
Green turtles often have a clean shell with fan-shaped patterns on the scales, while hawksbill turtles have interlocking scales, like roof tiles speckled with black spots and often have algae on top of their shell.
Green turtles have 2 scales between the eyes while hawksbill turtles have 4.

We wish you beautiful observations!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 Nicolas Grilleau 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴.