An adult olive ridley sea turtle was found by local fishermen on Koh Bon, a small island some 1.5-2 km south of Rawai Pier on Friday (Aug 11), Rawai Municipality said in a publication on Facebook.
The marine animal was found strangled in fishing nets and smothered with oil, but alive. The rescued turtle was then handed over to marine biologists and is now being treated at Sireetarn Marine Endangered Animal Rescue Centre on Cape Panwa.
It is unclear, how many sea turtles have been taken to Sireetarn Center after the oil slick reached Phuket on Aug 4. The DMCR in a report yesterday (Aug 11) confirmed that two young turtles had been sent to Cape Panwa – one from Mai Khao Beach and another from Kata Noi Beach.
Official and unofficial reports had also mentioned sea turtles found on Racha Islands and in Bang Tao earlier. The conditions of the animals vary, but all of them are under care now.
More than 4,000 rai of corals are at risk of damage by the oil slick that has plagued Phuket’s, according to the DMCR.
“According to preliminary reports, about five tonnes of oil and oil debris has been collected in Phuket in total. The most was two tonnes collected at Nai Yang Beach, with about one tonne collected at Racha Island,” said DMCR’s Deputy Director-General Pornsri Suthanaruk.