A quiet week, for which we are grateful. Two incidents required response — a after-dark seal welfare check on Tuesday and the first turtle hatchling of the season on Thursday. Winds have picked up and the team remains on standby for further turtle strandings.
Incident 1 — Seal Welfare Check, Bayview Beach
📍 Location: Bayview Beach 🕗 Time: After dark, Tuesday 3 March 👤 Responder: Michael
- A public post was forwarded to SMART reporting a weaner Cape Fur Seal (CFS) on Bayview Beach, well after sundown, reportedly with an eye injury.
- Michael responded. Conditions were aided by a full moon and the presence of a number of anglers on the beach, providing additional visibility and informal oversight.
- Despite a thorough search, the seal could not be located. It had likely returned to the sea before Michael’s arrival. No intervention required.
- Note: Night-time responses carry inherent risks and are always a concern. Michael’s assessment of the conditions (moonlight, anglers present) supported the decision to proceed.
Incident 2 — Loggerhead Turtle Hatchling, Boggomsbaai
📍 Location: Boggomsbaai 🕔 Time: Thursday 5 March, handover 16:10 👤 Responder: Val / Tracy Whitehead’s turtle taxi network
- The first turtle hatchling of the season was found stranded at Boggomsbaai — a loggerhead (Caretta caretta).
- The hatchling was taken directly to Hermanus Animal Hospital (HAH) for expert care under Two Oceans Turtle Ambassador Sr Stefanie de Graaff.
- Tracy Whitehead’s turtle taxi network coordinated transport. At 16:10, Val handed over the hatchling in a Turtle Transport box to a family travelling through Hartenbos en route from Knysna to Cape Town.
- The little one is now in expert hands in Cape Town. A wonderful outcome for the first hatchling of the season.
⚠️ On Standby: Winds have picked up. The team remains on standby for any further stranded turtles this week.
Take care and have a good week. 🐾