Turtle patient 254: Noora, juvenile olive ridley
Noora, a juvenile olive ridley sea turtle, was found floating and badly injured in Haa Alifu Atoll. After two days of transfers by speedboat and seaplane, Noora finally arrived at our Marine Turtle Rescue Centre for urgent medical care.
The vitals
Admission Date: 7 June 2025
Patient Number: 254
Rescue Location: Haa Alifu Atoll
Reason: Found Floating
Transport Method: Speedboat
Status: Current patient
Species: Olive ridley
Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
Sex: Unknown
Age: Juvenile
Length: 45 cm
Weight: 11.1 kg
The adoptive parents
Noora has been kindly adopted by Noora and by Franziska & Mario Baum.
Noora’s story
Noora, a juvenile olive ridley sea turtle, was found floating near Filladhoo island in Haa Alifu Atoll. Ali was enjoying the beach with his family on Hajj Day, when he noticed the head of a sea turtle bobbing in the water. Later on he saw the turtle was still nearby and appeared to be badly injured, so he immediately contacted our emergency hotline for assistance.
Haa Alifu Atoll lies in the north of the Maldives and a long way from our Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in Baa Atoll. Although Noora underwent an unusually long transfer to the Rescue Centre, our team is experienced in managing transport logistics, and we were able to coordinate with others and receive support along the way. Firstly, Noora stayed overnight with Filladhoo´s local police as there were no flights available. The next day, JA Manafaru Resort not only built her transport box, but also transported her by speedboat to their island to await a flight. We are incredibly grateful for their generous support! Noora then flew by Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane to Malé, where she overnighted at our Rehabilitation Centre based at One&Only, North Malé Atoll. The following day she finally arrived at our Marine Turtle Rescue Centre!
Our medical examination revealed ligature injuries on all four flippers, several bone fractures, lung trauma, and signs of internal infection. It looks like she may have been entangled in fishing gear or hit by something large. Our team is now closely monitoring her condition and planning an appropriate course of treatment.
6 July 2025
Noora has already stolen our hearts with her fighting spirit. Despite her injuries she is alert, active and feeds eagerly with an amazing appetite. That’s like having a patient who’s sitting up in bed asking for seconds at dinner, one of the best signs we can see for recovery. Our team has created a special treatment plan just for her. Healing broken flippers takes time, but with her resilience and our expert care, we’re hopeful she’ll make a full recovery.
Fun fact: The name Noora is the feminine form of Noor, which in Arabic means light or radiance.
Adopt Noora
When you symbolically adopt one of our turtle patients you will receive:
- A personalised digital adoption certificate with the history of your adopted turtle patient
- A fact sheet about the species of sea turtle you have adopted
- Updates on how your adopted turtle’s recovery is going (if you wish)
- Your name featured on our website (if you wish)
- Notification in the case of a release
We ask for a minimum single donation of £50 to adopt a turtle patient. £50 will contribute to the cost of medical therapy for one patient for two weeks. You can also choose to make a monthly donation of your choice.
Please allow 7 days for the issuing of the certificate. Also note that we do not contact gift recipients directly.
By adopting one of our turtle patients you will contribute towards the cost of our patients’ veterinary care, medications, and transport. You will also help fund our core charitable objectives to protect sea turtles and their habitats through rescue & conservation medicine, clinical & scientific research, and education & outreach.
