Swimming with three flippers can’t hold Geri the green turtle back.
In July 2021, she was found stranded in chilly Paternoster on the west coast of South Africa by the Turtle Rescue Network.
Where she washed up wasn’t the only unusual thing about Geri – she was also missing her left front flipper. While this injury had already healed, Geri was in terrible shape from other external wounds. But her spirit could not be broken. Turtles face numerous threats, including pollution, being caught in fishing lines, and hit by boat propellers. In Geri’s case, her carers believe she may have been attacked by a small shark that bit off more than it could chew.Burning off the energy she got from her vegetables, Geri could outswim Bob, a long-time able-bodied resident at the aquarium.
Today, she’s leading the way for other differently-abled turtles to take on the big blue. Her release may provide researchers with insight into the complex nature of green turtle migrations.