Turtle's winter wander

[pies4ever]

Turtle's winter wander
August 08, 2007

FOR a creature used to the warm, tropical waters of northern Queensland, Melbourne's winter is a long way from home.

McCrae the green sea turtle was found shivering in the 9C water of coastal Victoria, more than 2000km from its birthplace.

Thanks to an eagle-eyed passerby, McCrae was rescued and taken to the Melbourne Aquarium as part of its turtle rehabilitation program, before any long-term health issues related to the cold water set in.

Melbourne Aquarium head curator Nick Kirby said McCrae would have faced many potentially fatal dangers before reaching safety.

Turtles used to tropical water can suffer starvation, pneumonia and a digestive system shutdown when temperatures drop.

The reptiles hit trouble when they try to make their way back to shore from the open ocean but get swept away by southbound currents.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22207232-2862,00.html