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…
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
