Alex Trelinski
A TURTLE is recovering at Oceanografic Valencia after swallowing a balloon which nearly killed it.
Bathers at Torrevieja’s Los Locos beach spotted the in-distress loggerhead last Friday and alerted lifeguards.
The animal- aged around a year- was in a very weak state after ingesting part of the helium balloon.
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Oceanografic Foundation staff did a 400 kilometre round-trip to bring the turtle back with them.
Once at their base, vets carried out tests including an ultrasound analysis.
Part of the balloon was able to be removed but the rest- including a string attached to it- was left to come out ‘naturally’.
The Foundation’s Borja Yebras, said: “The turtle arrived very thin, dehydrated and unable to eat with the balloon causing a serious internal infection.”
“We are treating it with medication, fluids and controlled feeding as well as constantly monitoring its condition,” Yebras added.
The sad case reflects the increasing problems in marine environment such as the presence of plastic waste which animals confuse with food.
“Releasing a balloon may seem like an innocent gesture, but these objects can end up being a death trap for many species,” said Yebras.
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