Returning to the Sea – Rescuing a Loggerhead Sea Turtle

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society recently issued its first year-end report. The report is filled with stories and videos of rescues and rehabilitations from 2024. The stories in this report reflect the collective effort that makes the work possible, including the rescue of Moira, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle.

Moira was rescued on February 4 in Pedder Bay, British Columbia. The VAMMR team stabilized the severely hypothermic sea turtle, whose core temperature was only 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 degrees Fahrenheit) when she was admitted. At the time of her rescue, she was only the second reported sighting of a loggerhead sea turtle in British Columbia. Loggerhead turtles are typically found in tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans regions. Local marine biologist Dr. Anna Hall was the first to respond to this rescue. VAMMR is the only facility in Western Canada that can provide the unique care that this animal requires. VAMMR, SeaWorld San Diego Rescue, and Turtles Fly Too worked together to transport her back to the warm waters of San Diego last month.

View the Report