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THE BAJA POST
NEWSROOM
SOURCE: PR NEWSMEDIA
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR), SeaWorld San Diego Rescue and Turtles Fly Too worked together recently to transfer rescued loggerhead sea turtle, Moira. Found cold stunned in British Columbia, Moira was transported to the warm waters of San Diego where she has now been returned to the wild. Since her rescue in February 2024, VAMMR and the Vancouver Aquarium have been working tirelessly to bring Moira back to health.
Moira was rescued on February 4 in Pedder Bay, British Columbia. The VAMMR team stabilized the severely hypothermic sea turtle whose core temperature was only 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 degrees Fahrenheit) when she was admitted. Moira is estimated to be 15 to 20 years old. At the time of her rescue, she was the second reported sighting of a loggerhead sea turtle in British Columbia. Loggerhead turtles are typically found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The rescue would not have been possible without permission from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Local marine biologist Dr. Anna Hall was first to respond to this rescue. VAMMR is the only facility in Western Canada that can provide the unique care that this animal required. Moira has been fitted with a satellite tracker, allowing her care team to follow her journey and monitor her movements.
«This has been a remarkable story for Moira. I am very proud of the vital role that VAMMR and Vancouver Aquarium staff have played in getting her ready to be released by SeaWorld and Turtles Fly Too,» said VAMMR Executive Director Dr. Martin Haulena.
Upon her arrival to SeaWorld San Diego, the veterinary and rescue teams assessed Moira’s readiness for return, utilizing their extensive knowledge in the care of loggerhead turtles. Moira acclimated well to her new environment, swimming beautifully in larger, deeper pools. Her impressive diving abilities during the evaluation along with a healthy blood sample demonstrated that she was fully prepared to return to her natural habitat in the ocean this week.
