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SEA LIFE Loch Lomond shell-ebrates World Turtle Day with a fin-tastic treat

SEA LIFE Loch Lomond is shell-ebrating World Turtle Day (May 23) by whipping up a fin-tastic treat for their resident Olive Ridley Turtle, April.

Aquarist Kim Trussler feeds April the Olive Ridley Turtle a special treat for World Turtle Day

April was rescued from the Maldives in 2021. She was discovered floating in the ocean, entangled in ghost netting and with a plastic bag around her neck, sustaining significant injuries.

One of April’s fins had to be amputated, and she was suffering from a lung infection, resulting in lung tears, meaning she is unable to dive underwater.

Aquarist Kim Trussler and April the Olive Ridley Turtle at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond
Aquarist Kim Trussler and April the Olive Ridley Turtle at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond Credit: Alan Peebles

With these injuries, April is unable to be released into the wild, and therefore was relocated to her forever home at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond in November 2021, after travelling over 6,000 miles.

Now, as April enters her fourth year in SEA LIFE Loch Lomond’s care, the aquarium team has been working on a special World Turtle Day treat… a magni-fish-cent platter.

Colin Sinclair, Curator at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond, said: “April is a core part of the SEA LIFE Loch Lomond family, and we love looking after her!

“It felt right to give her a well-deserved treat for World Turtle Day, and we hope she enjoys it – mackerel is one of her favourite foods, so we absolutely had to make sure that was included within her special fish platter.

For more information about SEA LIFE Loch Lomond, and to book tickets, visit: https://www.visitsealife.com/loch-lomond/