Nooru

Nooru, which in Dhivehi means “holy light”, is an adult olive ridley that was found by the Coco Dive team from Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu – our resort partner where we are based – near Maavaru Kandu in Baa Atoll.

Nooru has deep ligature injuries to her left front and right hind flippers with bone exposure on both. She is in overall good body condition but her blood work shows signs of infection and her X-rays showed a fracture on her humerus. The veterinary team was able to confirm she is a female on an ultrasound exam where her ovaries were visible as well as developing follicles.

Nooru is being stabilised to undergo surgery soon. She is settling in well and has already starting eating.

8 January 2024
Since her admission, Nooru has undergone two surgeries. The first involved the amputation of her left front flipper, as regrettably, it was too diseased for salvage. The second surgery focused on debridement, meticulously cleaning all wounds, with special attention to removing dead tissue and promoting healing in her right hind flipper. Concurrently, Nooru is receiving platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) in conjunction with photobiomodulation (PBM) to facilitate the healing process and increase the chances of salvaging her right hind flipper. Remarkably, Nooru has responded well to both surgeries, maintaining a good appetite throughout her recovery.

We have now initiated her on Targeted External Weight Therapy as well, to motivate her to start diving.

During an ultrasound exam, we were able to confirm Nooru’s gender as female, with visible ovaries and developing follicles.

11 February 2024
Nooru is possibly one of our most stressed patients at the moment, primarily due to her persistent attempts to dive. In response, we have increased her External Targeted Weight Therapy to encourage this natural behaviour.

Fortunately, Nooru’s wounds have responded positively to the initial surgical procedures and platelet-rich plasma injections. We maintain a consistent regimen of wound cleaning, application of manuka honey, and cold laser sessions, and we are growing more confident in the recovery of her right hind flipper. The amputation site also shows gradual but steady healing. It’s important to note that sea turtles in folliculogenesis (the process of developing follicles, which are tiny sacs containing eggs within the ovaries, in preparation for ovulation) typically have a slower healing rate, but Nooru is progressing in the right direction.

12 March 2024
Nooru’s wounds are healing nicely, particularly her right hind flipper which has shown a drastic improvement. We are now concentrating on her dive training by adjusting her Targeted External Weight Therapy. However, Nooru has experienced a noticeable decrease in appetite over the last month due to a gastrointestinal condition, which we are monitoring closely.

7 April 2024
We have discontinued all medical therapy for Nooru and are monitoring her response closely to prevent any setbacks. Thankfully, she has regained her appetite and started eating well again. Nooru’s wounds are healing nicely as we continue to give her cold laser therapy sessions and monitor her bone health through regular X-rays.

12 May 2024
Nooru has made great strides this past month. Her healthy appetite and eagerness to start diving have prompted us to start her on submersible buoy feeding, to which she picked up on very quickly and is already showing signs of progress.

9 June 2024
Nooru has made good progress on the buoys in the past month and, although we lowered them several times, she stayed determined. She is also attempting to dive throughout the day outside of her feeding session. She continues to have a good appetite, maintaining a healthy weight.

7 July 2024
Nooru’s right hind flipper and the amputation site on her left front flipper have almost completely healed. She is receiving Targeted External Weight Therapy, and thriving in her dive training as we progress with her submersible buoy feeding sessions. 

11 August 2024
Nooru now has the larger enclosure to herself again and is enjoying her time interacting with the environmental enrichment devices in her tank – particularly the ones where she can rub her itchy shell on! We have put Nooru on a comprehensive dive training using a combination of Targeted External Weight Therapy and submersible buoy feeding sessions.

8 September 2024
Nooru is very enthusiastic during her dive training sessions, especially when it’s her favourite white fish on her submersible buoys. Nooru’s wounds are almost all completely healed now and she continues to remain stable off all medication.

6 October 2024
Nooru’s dietary preferences have changed a bit over the last month as she now prefers darker tuna. While her injuries have mostly healed, we are continuing with laser therapy to aid the healing of her scar tissue. With the continued use of Targeted External Weight Therapy along with submersible dive buoys we are seeing a gradual progress in her dive training. She seems to be able to position herself deeper in the water, indicating an improvement in her lung capacity.

10 November 2024
Nooru has become more active throughout the day, thanks to the new Environmental Enrichment Devices we have added to her tank, which she loves interacting with. The injuries to her flippers have now fully healed, but her gastrointestinal tract is still affected by dysbiosis – a condition that causes excess air to accumulate in the gut, making it difficult for her to submerge properly. Although she continues to struggle significantly with buoyancy disorder, she has been showing great enthusiasm during feeding sessions.

8 December 2024
Nooru continues to experience gas entrapment in her body. To address this, we performed a special procedure to remove this gas combined with a technique to repair tears in her lungs, which is the cause of the gas accumulation in her body cavity. We are closely monitoring her response, hoping it will improve her buoyancy issues. Fortunately, her appetite doesn’t seem to be affected by it, nor her spirits.

12 January 2025
Nooru is still battling with gas entrapment in her body. We are closely monitoring her response to the procedure we conducted in December, to remove the gas and repair tears in her lungs. We hope that her buoyancy issues will start to improve. Despite her struggles she is eating well and is the most vibrant turtle in the Rescue Centre!

9 February 2025
Nooru is eating as well as ever from the submerged buoys that we place her food on during feeding sessions, which encourages her to dive underwater. She is still battling with gas that is trapped in her body cavity, so we will continue with treatments to remove the gas and are optimistic that her condition will improve.

9 March 2025
Nooru is still battling a lung tear and gas trapped in her body cavity. To address this, we performed another procedure to remove some of the gas. We are continuing to monitor her closely and remain hopeful that the procedure will aid her recovery. Despite these challenges, she remains very energetic and has a healthy appetite.

6 April 2025
Unfortunately, Nooru has experienced a setback. We have observed an increase in the gas trapped within her body cavity, requiring us to discontinue buoy feeding. Instead, we have reverted to tong feeding to allow her lungs to rest and recover. We will continue to monitor her condition closely through weekly medical check ups and will adjust her care as needed to support her recovery.