A green sea turtle found trapped on a beach in Penghu County yesterday morning was safely released back into the ocean with the help of the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA).
Personnel from a northern Penghu inspection station discovered the stranded turtle during a coastal patrol at about 6:43am, the CGA said.
The patrol unit immediately notified the OCA, which identified the animal as a green sea turtle, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration via CNA
The turtle, a protected species, had no visible injuries, remained active and had stable vital signs, officials said, adding that it was released back into the ocean at high tide.
The turtle was about 54cm long and 42 cm wide, the CGA said.
Taiwan is one of the green sea turtle's key habitats, with major nesting sites on outlying islands, the OCA said.
After hatching, the turtles drift into the open ocean, riding currents and sheltering among floating algae where they feed, it said, adding that they face several threats as their nesting and foraging areas often overlap with human activity.
A total of 259 stranded green sea turtles were reported in Taiwan last year, mostly in Penghu, Yilan and Taitung counties, it said.
The species is protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
The OCA urged the public to call the 118 hotline if stranded whales, dolphins or sea turtles are spotted along the coast.
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