Eltham is a green sea turtle who was admitted to Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue on the 27th of September 2022 after being found floating in the water and then became stranded at Sandon River. He was noted to have barnacles and algae growth on his carapace (the upper surface of his shell) which indicates that Eltham may have been struggling for some time prior to becoming stranded. Eltham has floating syndrome.
Floating syndrome occurs when there is a build-up of gas inside the turtle. This is problematic in that it results in the turtle floating on the surface of the water. This means they have difficulty diving to obtain food and will also mean that they will have difficulty escaping from predators and will be exposed and be at increased risk of things such as a boat strike.
Eltham’s weight on admission was 6.12kg.