Turtle Patient 137: Ollie, Sub-Adult Olive Ridley
Ollie was found floating near The Barefoot Eco Hotel, Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll in the far north of the Maldives.
Intake Date: 19 February 2021
Patient Number: 137
Rescue Location: Haa Dhaalu Atoll
Reason: Found floating
Transport Method: Seaplane
Status: Deceased 25 February 2021
Species: Olive ridley
Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
Sex: Unknown
Age: Sub-Adult
Length: 56.5 cm
Weight: 13.35 kg
Deceased
Ollie has some very light wounds on his front right flipper that indicates an entanglement, but he wasn’t found in a net. He looks uncannily like Kalani and also has a very similar presentation with almost exactly the same degree of buoyancy problems! Hopefully they will heal at similar rates and both be able to go home before long!
25 February 2021
Ollie died suddenly over night. A postmortem revealed that he had severe internal injuries; he had tears in both his liver and lungs. Though his injuries did not indicate that he had been entangled for a long time, the struggle for freedom caused so much damage his life could not be saved. It is very sad to know that Ollie almost made it to adulthood, only to be entangled in ghost net, even briefly, and it caused his death. It goes to show how dangerous ghost gear is on so many levels. Although limb injuries are most common, it can cause serious internal injuries too.
