NSW Department of Primary Industries, Lord Howe Island Marine Park News, The Lord Howe Island Signal

Last November, a weak and injured Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) was found near the jetty by young Lord Howe Island residents. They alerted the local veterinary nurse and certified wildlife carer, Deb Thompson, who arrived onsite to assess the turtle’s condition.

With multiple wounds from a shark bite, and being unable to dive and forage for food, the turtle was unlikely to survive on its own. Deb provided critical care to ensure it was in a stable condition, before arranging for its transport to the mainland for rehabilitation. The turtle was given the name Howeana.

Over the next six months, Howeana recovered at the Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary. Thanks to expert care, its wounds healed, and it gained enough strength and weight to survive in the wild. During this time, Deb travelled from Lord Howe Island to check on the recovery and learn from the facilities team.

After being cleared by a NPWS vet for release and the Lord Howe Island Board, Howeana was flown back to the Island in April, and taken to Old Settlement Beach for release in to sheltered seagrass meadows. Over 100 residents and visitors turned up to watch. Among them were Leon and Miles who first saw Howeana. The pair helped carry Howeana down the beach for release on the day.

Being the first of its kind, Deb ensured the release was safe and successful by collaborating with Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP) staff, the Lord Howe Island Board, local vet Dr Courtney Turner, NPWS staff including Dr Duane March, and staff from both the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital and Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary. It would also not have been possible without the support of Eastern Air Services.

Green sea turtles are listed as vulnerable in NSW, so efforts to protect the species are important including understanding key threats to their survival. Along with documenting injured and unwell turtles, LHIMP staff have been working with Deb and Dr Courtney Turner at the Lord Howe Island Veterinary Clinic over the past five years to conduct post-mortem examinations of any turtles found dead in the marine park. To date, the leading cause of death for these turtles has been spirorchiid fluke infection, a natural and common infection resulting from exposure to fluke larvae in the wild. Occasionally though, turtles in the LHIMP are injured or killed by boat strike, shark bite or plastic entanglement.

Thanks very much to everyone who reports unusual or concerning marine wildlife sightings in the marine park, and of course to Deb Thompson and Dr Courtney Turner for their dedication to best-practice wildlife care in this remote location.

This article appeared in The Lord Howe Island Signal, 31 May 2025.