JOHANNESBURG - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has saved a small sea turtle that appeared to have been injured on Jeffreys Bay main beach in the Eastern Cape.
The NSRI was alerted at approximately 12:30pm on Monday by Ettiene Venter of Jeffreys Bay Surf School.
"Our NSRI crew member Elaine Schmidt, who also has the local responsibility for the assisting of injured and distressed sea animals in our area, collected the turtle from Ettiene. The turtle appeared to have an injured left hind leg," NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said
"Arrangements were made with Bay World in Port Elizabeth and one of our NSRI crew members going through to Port Elizabeth on Tuesday morning delivered the turtle to Bay World after we had cared for the turtle in our safekeeping in Jeffreys Bay overnight."
Bay World staff is said to further care and rehabilitate the turtle which has been named Sunny.
Bay World confirmed on Tuesday that most of the turtle's left hind leg is missing and that it is a Loggerhead sea turtle hatchling, about two to three weeks old.
This kind of turtle is "normally found in Northern KwaZulu Natal and it is suspected that the small turtle may have been swept down the coast in strong currents and storms and from missing most of one leg that may have contributed to the cause," said Lambinon.