Two sea turtles will begin, on Monday, October 23rd, their journey home, after several months in rehabilitation at Porto d'Abrigo do Zoomarine.
Early next week, and before temperatures drop too much, Umiko and Ulisses will be returned to the Atlantic Ocean, about 20 kilometers (12 nautical miles) south of Faro, aboard a Portuguese Navy ship.
The two specimens, both of the Caretta caretta species (one of the 7 species of sea turtles that still swim and reproduce on our Planet), were rescued during the summer, after being sighted, on the high seas, by researchers assigned to AIMM Portugal – Associação para a Investigação do Meio Marinho, an NGO that carries out part of its work in Algarve waters.
Umiko ['sea child', in Japanese] suffered from dehydration, mild anemia and had compromised kidney function – in addition, she had foreign bodies (plastic) in the digestive tract; She arrived weighing 2,3 kilograms and returns to sea weighing 3,2.
However, Ulysses [the famous ancient warrior] revealed that he had a lung infection and, likewise, had foreign bodies (plastic) in his digestive tract; he arrived at Porto d'Abrigo weighing 3,7 kilograms, and returns to the wild weighing 5,4 kilograms.
After recovering from their illnesses (including the ingestion of plastics), and each one identified with a microchip, the return will take place on board the NRP Cassiopeia, in a repeated cooperation between the Portuguese Navy and Porto d'Abrigo do Zoomarine.
On board, in addition to members of Zoomarine (rescue and rehabilitation team) and AIMM Portugal, will be the Naval Commander, Vice-Admiral Chaves Ferreira, and the Commander of the Southern Maritime Zone, Commander of Sea and War Lopes de Figueiredo.
«The complex journeys of both turtles involved rescues, transport, complex clinical rehabilitation, involvement in research projects, and planning for return to the wild – and are yet another inspiring example of how cooperation, in favor of, among others, Good -animal welfare and Nature Conservation, can and should be collective efforts of people and multidisciplinary and multi-institutional entities – because our planet needs it, because the species deserve it, and because “Together, We Protect”, Together We Protect», he highlights or Zoomarine.
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