On Friday, August 8, another juvenile loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), Blue Gem, arrived at our Rescue Center. She was found by Mr. Janko Kovačević during a dolphin-watching tour organized by the company Blue Gem from Umag. This is the tenth turtle to arrive suffering from depletion syndrome since July 14.

Blue Gem weighs 1.38 kg, has a shell length of 21.5 cm, and is estimated to be around two years old. Upon arrival, she received first aid, including infusions and glucose.

Aquarium Pula is not the only rescue center in the northern Adriatic receiving juvenile turtles with similar symptoms in recent weeks. The Fondazione Cetacea sea turtle rescue center in Riccione, Italy, has intervened in 16 cases since mid-June, mostly along the coasts of the Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche regions.

Cases of depleted juvenile turtles with pronounced crustacean epibiont overgrowth have occasionally been recorded in the northern Adriatic since 2009, but the exact cause is still not fully understood. Research from 2017 and 2023 shows that the presence of large numbers of the copepod parasite Balaenophilus manatorum and barnacles Platylepas hexastylos on turtles’ bodies can cause open wounds and ulcers (ulcerative necrotic dermatitis). For this reason, we collected samples of the epibiotic fauna (animals living on the skin and shells of sea turtles) to identify the species present and learn more.

We sincerely thank Mr. Janko Kovačević and the company Blue Gem for reporting the turtle and assisting with her transport.