The turtle that was found on the coast of Brijuni by an employee of Državne nekretnine has again swum in the Adriatic Sea

In October 2022, World Animal Day was marked at Verudela in Pula with the return of the recovered loggerhead sea turtles Ivan and Danče to the Adriatic Sea. Ivan the loggerhead sea turtle was named after an employee of Državne nekretnine who spotted it floating on the surface of the sea in the early morning hours on Thursday, 10 February 2022, when he arrived on the island of Vanga. This sea turtle from the family Testudines, species Caretta caretta, fought its battle for survival in the Marine Turtle Rescue Center of Aquarium Pula.

Through the cooperation of nature and man, the sea brought its powerless creature to the coast of the Brijuni Islands, and the fact that this male loggerhead sea turtle was sent to x-rays today to see how serious its condition is, is due to Ivan’s benevolent reaction because, seeing it gives certain signs of life, he contacted the expert service of the Brijuni National Park Their manager took the turtle and transported it to the aquarium in Pula, where it was determined that it was a male loggerhead sea turtle weighing 5 kg and that it was in a very serious condition. It had water in its lungs, injured fins and a serious injury to its right eye. It spent four months in intensive care and recovered well with infusions and antibiotics, and with two kilos more, which is quite a lot for a turtle, it was transferred to a larger rehabilitation pool where it gained better condition and was ready to return to the sea.

According to the Blue World Institute, the biggest threat to sea turtles is interaction with humans. Although all species of sea turtles are protected, they are still faced with fishing gear and it is estimated that over 5,000 sea turtles are caught in bottom trawlers in the Adriatic Sea every year. Another cause of mortality for sea turtles is longline fishing because the hooks are easily swallowed and they cause serious injuries to the turtles’ digestive tract.

The Marine Turtle Rescue Center within the Aquarium Pula, which takes care of injured sea turtles from the entire Croatian part of the Adriatic, is the first of its kind in Croatia, and apart from treatment and care, it tries to raise public awareness of their protection through various activities, with which we hope we also contributed thanks to the reaction of our Ivan.

To Ivan of the Sea, after it has breathed properly, we wish that the sea protects it and that it swims freely in the vastness of the sea.

Published 18. February 2022.