Léopold, that’s the name given to this little loggerhead turtle by its caregivers. For two months, this approximately 2-year-old specimen was regaining strength at the Antibes sea and coastline care center. On Wednesday, September 13, it regained its freedom after getting back on its feet.
The caregivers and team members of the care center gathered early this Wednesday at the Antibes port. Accompanied by the SNSM sea rescuers, little Léopold is placed in a damp crate aboard the rigid inflatable boat. To move as far away as possible from all nautical activities while limiting the boat crossing time, uncomfortable for the animal, the boat moves about 5 nautical miles (about ten km) from the coast. » We hope that at this distance, Léopold will be able to easily find the Ligurian current (major Mediterranean current) and thus resume its migration » explains Sidonie Catteau, turtle mission leader at the Marineland foundation and reference at the RTMMF (French Mediterranean marine turtle network).
Barely does a flipper touch the water than in less than a second, the turtle dives directly to the bottom without looking back. Though the animal quickly departed, those who cared for it this summer stay for a moment, looking into the blue. « It’s an incredible, moving moment, we are really happy with such an outcome » responds Sidonie Catteau.
Collected at the beginning of July, this little turtle was found in Cassis in a lethargic state before being brought to the Antibes sea and coastline care center. It suffered from hypothermia and was immersed in a 23°C bath to warm it up. For Sidonie Cateau and the veterinarians of the care center, a long process began: « We had to teach it how to eat again because initially, it ate very little. Little by little, we got it used to eating everything, it gained 600 grams during these two months, and today it is perfectly recovered. » Everyone hopes that Léopold will manage to readjust to finding food by itself, but no one doubts that its instinct will quickly prevail.
Margot Harty