Hiona is a little green turtle discovered half ago coming out from a nest in Tetiaroa. She will celebrate her 3 months in few days. Very weak and unable to lift her head up to breath, she was rapatriated to the Sea Turtle Clinic (authorized by a decree of the Ministry of Environment).
She was first identified as an albino turtle, but as she grows, her scales are starting to get darker. We now think that this young turtle suffers from a lack of melanin, which explains why she started getting darker with time. She also has an abnormality on her shells’ scale pattern, and a slight deformation on her shell. Hiona, although already much darker than when she was born, is still particularly sensitive to UV rays against the melanin which normally serves as a protection. Therefore, we have adapted Hiona’s nursery with a cover so that she can swim around in the shade but still enjoy some sun occasionally.
Thanks to special care provided by our clinic team and our volunteers, today Hiona is much better and we will give you news soon !
