GALLERY: Lake Mac turtle, which ingested seven fishing hooks, back 'home'

Sep 14, 2023

A green turtle, which ingested seven fishing hooks, is back where she belongs – in the sea – after being rescued from Lake Macquarie earlier this year.

The large reptile underwent a five-hour long surgery to remove the metallic tackle from her intestines at Taronga Wildlife Hospital (TWH) in Sydney.

And, thankfully, she's recovered so well, she returned to the ocean – courtesy of a joint operation between TWH and NSW Police Marine Command – last week.

"Releasing turtles and other wildlife back into the wild is the best part of my job," rescue and rehabilitation coordinator Libby Hall said.

"She made a remarkable recovery after her surgery."

The 50kg green turtle was saved from Lake Macquarie and brought to the Taronga Wildlife Hospital in March.

X-rays revealed that she had ingested seven fishing hooks, four of which were in a gang-hook formation.

"On ultrasound examination, I was very suspicious that there was bunching of the intestines, an indication that fishing line is causing damage," senior veterinarian Larry Vogelnest said.

"So, we decided to perform surgery immediately.

"Surgery on turtles is extremely difficult, as everything is encased within the shell, so the access is limited."

During the lengthy procedure, Dr Vogelnest was able to access parts of the intestines that were affected.

And, together with the team, he successfully removed the fishing hooks and line.

The line, which was attached to the hooks, had already cut into the turtle's intestines, but not yet all the way through.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure if the turtle was going to survive," he said.

"Incredibly, just a few days after the surgery, she was feeding well and then made a remarkable recovery."

The Taronga Wildlife Hospital team was able to release another female green turtle last week, too.

The 80kg sea creature was admitted to the facility in April "very unwell and floating" according to Dr Vogelnest, after having been rescued from Anna Bay in Port Stephens.

Upon examination, they discovered she had swallowed fishing line.

No hooks were present… and she passed the line safely without the need for surgery.

Before the double turtle release, both were fitted with satellite trackers as part of Taronga's Marine Turtle Satellite Tracking Program.

The research initiative, funded by Veolia, monitors survival and movement of rehabilitated turtles and provides data on critical habitat use in NSW.

Six of the world's seven species of marine turtle occur in Australian waters and all are listed as endangered or vulnerable.

Marine turtles play a vital role in maintaining the health of our oceans because they are important transporters of nutrients across ecosystems, thus benefitting a wide range of species.

"Marine debris and plastic pollution are among the biggest threats to Australia's unique wildlife, including turtles," Dr Vogelnest explained.

"So, please consider your impact and always take your rubbish with you."

Every year, 1500 animals are admitted to Taronga Wildlife Hospitals, and Taronga is the leading contributor to veterinary services in wildlife treatment and rehabilitation in the state.

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