A huge turtle that washed up on an Auckland beach thousands of kilometres from its normal habitat is set for its first public appearance, following weeks of rehabilitation.
The 65cm Eastern Pacific green turtle - which is most commonly found in warmer waters near Costa Rica or the Galápagos Islands - was found stranded on Takapuna beach earlier this year.
The 26kg turtle was dehydrated, exhausted and had a low body temperature when it was discovered by Takapuna locals in late May. It was rescued by Department of Conservation staff, and underwent checks at Auckland Zoo before being handed off to Kelly Tarlton's.
Since then, it's been nursed back to health at the aquarium's Turtle Rehabilitation Centre - and now, after weeks of careful supervision, staff say it's ready for visitors.
"After four weeks behind the scenes, the turtle is now well enough to move into Turtle Bay where visitors to the aquarium can meet this unique creature before it is ready to be released back into the ocean!" a statement sent to media read.
"It will swim alongside other rescued sea turtles as they continue their recovery under careful supervision from the team."
Kelly Tarlton's says the turtle's recovery is good timing ahead of the school holidays. The aquarium says it'll be open seven days a week in the period between July 4-19.
A decision will be made in the warmer months about whether the turtle can safely return to sea and make its way back to where it belongs.
Eastern Pacific green turtles are classified as endangered. Its populations have been affected by overfishing and plastic pollution, Kelly Tarlton's says.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species shows a 48-67 percent decline in the number of mature females nesting annually over the last three generations.
