Turtle Patient 217: Humashi, Adult Female Olive Ridley
Humashi was found entangled in ghost net in a lagoon at Filladhoo island. After being released she was unable to dive so the decision was made to bring her to the Rescue Centre.
The Vitals
Intake Date: 31 July 2023
Patient Number: 217
Rescue Location: Haa Alif Atoll
Reason: Found entangled
Transport Method: Speedboat, domestic flight & seaplane
Status: Deceased 16 August 2023
Species: Olive ridley
Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Length: 65.6 cm
Weight: 19.3 kg
The Adoptive Parents
Humashi has been adopted by Justas.
Humashi’s Story
Humashi, which means “soft, fine sand” in Dhivehi, is an adult female olive ridley. She was rescued in Haa Alif Atoll, the northern most atoll in the Maldives, and her journey to the Rescue Centre is one for the books! She first took a speedboat to get on a domestic flight to Malé, the captial city. She then spent the night at our rehab facility at One&Only Reethi Rah before finally taking seaplane to the Rescue Centre.
Humashi is missing her right front flipper and has fractures in both her back flippers and on her left hip. She is very underweight, which means we have to be very careful while handling her. There are also some mild abrasions on her carapace and plastron due to the nets rubbing on it for days. Her blood work show signs of infection and kidney injury so the we have started her on aggressive supportive therapy. Humashi has been in our ICU tank resting and has started eating, showing a clear preference for prawns.
16 August 2023
Unfortunately Humashi’s overall condition deteriorated rapidly. Her blood work revealed a worsening infection, which over the course of the week became overwhelming. As a result of her widespread blood infection, Humashi did not survive despite our best efforts. Humashi spent just a little over two weeks at the Rescue Centre, but she captivated everyone.
