“It’s been amazing to watch her defy the odds.”
Meet Kalani: a spirited Australian sea turtle whose journey began in heartbreak but turned into a story of resilience.
In January, a concerned beachgoer discovered Kalani stranded on Lennox Head Beach in New South Wales. They quickly contacted the team at Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue (ASTR), who rushed to the scene.
Kalani was brought to the ASTR rescue center for an initial exam before being transferred to Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital for a full medical assessment. Vets found her extremely lethargic and burdened by epibiota — organisms such as algae, barnacles, and leeches that had colonized her shell and skin. She also had an injury on her left flipper.
While epibiota aren’t always harmful — they often have a neutral, commensal relationship with turtles — a sick or weak turtle can’t manage them effectively. Healthy turtles are able to scrape these organisms off with their flippers, but Kalani’s condition left her unable to do so. The overwhelming load of epibiota made it harder for her to swim and recover.
The team at ASTR knows how vulnerable sea turtles are, especially in a world increasingly threatened by climate change, pollution, and fishing. Determined to give Kalani a second chance, they developed a careful treatment plan: they gently cleaned her shell, administered medication, and monitored her progress closely.
Kalani’s recovery was slow, but steady. Week by week, she gained strength — and eventually, weight. Today, she’s almost unrecognizable from the exhausted turtle first found on the beach.
Her shell gleams. Her flippers are strong. And most importantly, her personality has emerged.
“As turtles get healthier, their personalities really start to shine,” said Amanda Philp, ASTR’s assistant general manager. “Kalani is now the boss of our pre-release tank and always the first to appear at feeding time. We all love her.”
Kalani will stay in care through the winter. If her recovery stays on track, she’ll be released back into the wild this spring — healthy, confident, and ready for life in the open sea.
“It’s been amazing to watch her defy the odds,” Philp said. “She’s now healthy and truly flourishing.”