{"id":364602,"date":"2026-04-05T08:03:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T08:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/364602\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T08:03:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T08:03:19","slug":"woman-spends-92-days-saving-a-sea-turtles-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/364602\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman spends 92 days saving a sea turtle\u2019s life"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2025, marine biologist Tabitha Siegfried of the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center<\/a> spotted a sea turtle that was struggling to swim in the Gulf of Mexico.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Without hesitation, she jumped into the water and brought the female loggerhead ashore, quickly realizing that it was afflicted with hundreds of barnacles and suffering from a severe case of debilitated turtle syndrome.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t really know the underlying cause of debilitated turtle syndrome,\u201d Siegfried said in an Instagram video<\/a>. \u201cIt could be due to environmental factors or an infection [or] something that she ate. But it is characterized by excessive barnacles, lethargy, and anemia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd usually when turtles are brought into a rehab facility with this disease or syndrome, their odds of survival are less than 25%,\u201d she added soberly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Five of the world\u2019s seven species of sea turtle are found within the Gulf of Mexico, including the Kemp\u2019s ridley, green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback, and loggerheads like the one Siegfried rescued.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act and face severe threats from fishing bycatch, coastal development destroying nesting habitats, ocean pollution, and vessel strikes \u2014 and Siegfried has dedicated her career to saving them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The turtle, which was named Syrena by the marine rehabilitation team, was in dire straits when she was brought in. And although Siegfried and her peers didn\u2019t know the root cause of Syrena\u2019s pain, they did know how to treat it: Lots of fluids and antibiotics.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AImage via Tabby Siegfried | Marine Bio. Caption:\u00a0The Dodo<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so fortunate it actually pulled through with this condition because we have had a season where we have had 25 or more turtles and only one or two of them have actually survived.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The turtle also needed a lot of care and patience when it came to removing her many barnacles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to do this in a slow, methodical way, because it can be very painful to the turtle underneath those barnacles,\u201d Siegfried explained. \u201cBarnacles are a living crustacean, but they can burrow into her shell and cause an infection.\u201d<\/p>\n

On July 14 of last year \u2014 after three months of recovery and multiple barnacle removals \u2014 Syrena was finally nursed back to full health and was ready for release.<\/p>\n

\u201c92 days ago, we found her struggling offshore \u2014 weak, disoriented, and in critical condition,\u201d Siegfried wrote in an Instagram update<\/a>. \u201cI didn\u2019t know if she\u2019d make it. But Syrena showed us what resilience looks like.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Siegfried shared footage of her and a colleague carrying Syrena to the shore so that she could return to the Gulf of Mexico.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AImage via Tabby Siegfried | Marine Bio<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter months of treatments, barnacle removal, antibiotics, and a whole lot of love\u2026 she swam back into the Gulf with strength and attitude (as she should),\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like all turtles that \u201cgraduate\u201d from the rehab facility<\/a>, Syrena was given two metal flipper tags and passive integrated transponders (PIT tags).<\/p>\n

That way, if she is ever caught or brought in again, they know exactly who she is and where she came from.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And although Siegfried\u2019s career is built around saving countless turtles like Syrena, she admitted that her release was particularly heartwrenching.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery release is emotional \u2014 but this one hit different. Because every turtle matters. Every rescue is worth it,\u201d she emphasized. \u201cSwim free, Syrena. You\u2019ll always have a piece of my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You may also like: Three-footed turtle given ‘new wheels’ after museum staff gifts him a handmade LEGO harness<\/a><\/p>\n

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Header images via Tabby Siegfried | Marine Bio<\/p>\n

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