A group of jet skiers was enjoying a day off Magnetic Island, Australia, when they found a green sea turtle in trouble. Andrew Eslick, leading the tour, first thought the turtle was just sunbathing. But as he got closer, he realized something was wrong.
"I think I'm about to show everyone a dead turtle," Eslick told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
A Timely Rescue
When Eslick gently touched the turtle's head, it opened its eyes. He could see the animal was "unhealthy and weak." Its shell had "little bloody patches all over it where her shell had become soft and started to peel off like wet paper."
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Start Your News DetoxThe tour group decided to cut their trip short to help the turtle. "The tour collectively made the decision that we’d rather help than continue on," Eslick wrote on Facebook. With help from a lifeguard, they strapped the turtle, weighing over 220 pounds, to a board. They brought her back to Horseshoe Bay.
Princess Peach's Recovery
Experts from the Magnetic Island Network for Turtles (MINT) rehabilitation center were waiting. "She was whisked off to the vets," Eslick shared, hoping for a full recovery. Eslick's three-year-old son named the turtle "Princess Peach," a name MINT kept.
Veterinarians estimate Princess Peach is between 50 and 80 years old. Besides her shell infection, she is otherwise healthy. Lily Donnelly, MINT's rehabilitation clinic coordinator, said they are still trying to find the cause of the infection. However, Princess Peach is healing well.
MINT started a GoFundMe to help cover her care. "Being such a big turtle … her food costs will match, plus her ongoing medical costs," the fundraiser states. "Your donation will go directly to helping get Peach back in the ocean where she belongs."
Donnelly believes Peach could return to the ocean in less than 12 weeks. Once healed, she will be tagged for future tracking. "All turtles under Queensland government regulations are tagged," Donnelly explained. If someone sees a tagged turtle while snorkeling, they can take a photo, which helps rehab groups.
Green sea turtles were once endangered but are now a conservation success story. Protecting them requires the work of experts and everyday people like Eslick's tour group. Eslick noted that his customers are "making sure we look after the water and look after our animals in this area."
