Turning the tide for turtles in the Umzimkhulu

New signboards are to be erected along the Umzimkhulu River and at Spiller’s Wharf, warning powerboaters and jet-skiers to slow down. The mighty Umzimkhulu is home to a host of wildlife and local eco-warriors want to preserve it as a safe sanctuary, in particular for turtles including the green sea turtle and the leatherback sea turtle.

The erection of the boards, which will read ‘Slow – No Wake Zone’ has the full support of the Umtentweni Conservancy and Robin Petterson, owner of Spiller’s Wharf. A no-wake zone means that motorised watercraft must slow down to a maximum of five kilometres per hour when travelling further north up the river.

There will also be signs at Spiller’s Wharf reminding people to look after the river and the turtles, with a special warning to the public to be careful when launching their boats and not to throw plastic and waste into the river.

Research suggests that 52 percent of the world’s turtles have eaten plastic waste. This is because a floating plastic bag can look like a jellyfish, algae, or other species that make up sea turtles’ diets.

Spokesman for the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), Ann Kunz said motorised watersports could have a negative impact. “The wake caused by boats going too fast causes a disturbance to the waterbirds, especially those reliant on the river as a food source and those that nest along the banks.The pollution associated with motors can have a negative impact on the entire ecosystem,” she said.

Many will remember Lucien the 60-year-old turtle found off Lucien beach on the South Coast. Despite treatment, Lucien died from a systemic bacterial infection earlier this year. The turtle was very large, weighing in at 126 kg. It had only three flippers, with the fourth nothing more than a stump, possibly the result of an old injury. Lucien had been recognised as possibly the same animal sighted regularly in the Umzimkhulu River over a number of years.

Brian Lange of the Umzimkhulu Marina believes Lucien’s injury was the result of being struck by a propeller. He added that due to the river being shallow in some places, turtles were unable to get away from a speeding boat. “Over the years I have found turtle skeletons in the river and in one case, the shell showed the turtle had been struck some three times by a boat.”

Mr Lange’s son, Sean had recently spotted around 10 turtles in the river. “It’s very sad however that ongoing sewage spills and the littering, especially the discarded plastic is having such a negative impact on the river’s ecosystem,” said Mr Lange.

Thanks go to Terry McGovern from Car Plates and Signs for sponsoring the signboards and Mr Lange of the Umzimkhulu Marina who will help erect the signs.

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