Home of the hammerheads
Guest columnist Pash Baker tells the story of a rescued turtle who spent his last days in a UK aquarium
Home of the hammerheads
It may be one of the most enigmatic and sought after shark species , but virtually nothing is known about the life cycle of the great hammerhead . Great hammerheads , Sphyrna mokarran , have a distinctive quality other than their trademark heads – sheer size .
Despite their imposing size and alpha predator status , the location of their nursing grounds has until recently evaded marine scientists . Catherine Macdonald , director of the University of Miami ’ s Shark Research and Conservation Program , believes researchers have finally found a great hammerhead nursery in Florida . It ’ s not in some remote corner of the state ’ s remaining protected mangrove forests , but in one of the most developed stretches of its southeast coast : Biscayne Bay , which stretches south from Miami to the Florida Keys .
Biscayne Bay is already the site of a national park , but scientists are calling for it to have stricter protection measures . It ’ s already thought that climate changeinduced rising sea temperatures will have an adverse effect on the corals in and outside the bay . They could also affect the health of young , developing sharks .
PHOTO : SIMON ROGERSON
PHOTO : ROB WHITE
The price of ghost nets
Guest columnist Pash Baker tells the story of a rescued turtle who spent his last days in a UK aquarium
You may have seen the recent documentary series featuring the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth . The aquarium is the largest of its kind in the UK and at the end of 2022 became home to an injured adult male Olive Ridley turtle named Heidi , who was featured in the documentary .
Heidi was found in the Maldives entangled in ghost gear – the name given to fishing nets that have been abandoned , lost or discarded into the ocean . Luckily for Heidi , he was found and transported to the Olive Ridley Project Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in Baa atoll . He had sustained deep wounds to both of his front flippers as a result of his entanglement , and one had to be amputated .
The remaining front flipper suffered extensive damage and was left nonfunctioning . This meant that Heidi was not a suitable candidate for release ; while he could swim and dive with just his back flippers , he wouldn ’ t have had the strength to survive rough seas or storms .
Heidi spent four years in rehabilitation at the rescue centre , all the while waiting for a permanent home . During his time in the Maldives , numerous attempts were made to find Heidi a forever home in an aquarium . Finally , a suitable venue was found in Plymouth ’ s National Marine Aquarium and he became a lively new addition to the Great Barrier Reef tank .
Earlier this year however , the aquarists noticed that Heidi ’ s swimming and diving patterns had changed . Calling in the vet , a CT scan was performed which discovered arthritis and sepsis in the bones and joints , which had been damaged during his entrapment .
The decision was taken to put Heidi to sleep , as nothing could be done to improve his long-term quality of life . Heidi ’ s death serves as stark reminder of the global ghost gear issue – it is estimated that 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is lost or discarded into the oceans every year .
What can we do to help ? If you choose to eat fish and seafood , opt for sustainably caught , preferably line and pole , rather than long-line or trawler nets . Consider making a donation or adopting a sea turtle through the Olive Ridley Project to enable them to continue their efforts in education , removal of ghost gear and rehabilitation of injured turtles . Or join as a volunteer to help run the rescue centre in the Maldives as a working holiday . See oliveridleyproject . org for details .
■ The Shark Trust column will return next month
Heidi the turtle , pictured during a rehabilitation swim
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