On a tranquil morning at The Pass, many families from our school gathered on the beach to celebrate a special 9th birthday.
The ocean was calm and the children were having an incredible time surfing, swimming and playing in the picturesque water. Out past the break, a snorkeler spotted a loggerhead sea turtle in distress, unable to submerge.
It’s like it knew where to show itself to receive the help it needed. As news of the turtle spread across the beach, the children and parents marvelled at the incredible size of this majestic, prehistoric looking creature. The snorkeler looked after the turtle in the shallows for over an hour before Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue arrived.
The children had an opportunity to observe this animal at close proximity for this time. Many of our parents worked together to carry the sick turtle from the water into a sling and then to the waiting vehicle. It was so heavy that it took six strong people to carry the turtle to the car.
It was such a remarkable experience for all that were there to witness this rescue. This experience was a hot topic at school the following Monday, with a number of families reaching out to the rescue centre for an update. Due to the size of the turtle, it needed to be transported to SeaWorld to receive treatment.
The good news is that the turtle was successfully treated at SeaWorld and has now been released back into the waters at The Pass.
Mia, Primary Coordinator (Monday-Wednesday)
