A young loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) has been rescued after being found with a longline fishing hook lodged in its mouth, attached to a line ending in a floating container, believed to have been used as a marker for fishing gear.
The turtle was spotted floating off the coast of Maccarese, near Rome, and was rescued following a report to the Italian Coast Guard. It was then transferred by the regional TartaLazio rescue network to the Zoomarine Sea Turtle First Aid Centre.
Veterinarians surgically removed the hook before carrying out diagnostic examinations and providing intensive treatment. On arrival, the turtle was suffering from a significant build-up of gas in its intestines, preventing it from diving properly—a condition likely caused by several days without being able to feed normally.
«The hook was lodged in the corner of the turtle’s mouth and was removed fairly quickly thanks to the work of our veterinarians Daniele La Monaca and Saverio Meini,» explained Camillo Sandri, veterinarian and Zoological Director at Zoomarine. «The main concerns in cases like this are the risk of infection and the prolonged fasting caused by the animal’s inability to move freely for several days, which progressively worsened its condition. When it arrived, it had a significant amount of air in its intestines, preventing it from diving and maintaining proper buoyancy.»
The turtle, estimated to be four to five years old, weighed just over 2 kilograms when admitted to the rescue centre. Its condition has improved rapidly since treatment began.
«It started eating again after just two days and gained around 80 grams within four days,» Sandri added. «We are feeding it 20 grams of highly digestible fish offal each day so it can absorb nutrients efficiently and regain weight gradually. If it continues to respond this well, we expect to be able to release it back into the sea within the next few weeks.»
Operating since 2015 in partnership with the TartaLazio regional rescue network, Zoomarine’s Sea Turtle First Aid Centre is the first facility accredited by the Lazio Region to provide emergency care for stranded sea turtles. Every year, it treats animals injured by fishing hooks and nets, affected by plastic ingestion or struck by boats, with the goal of returning them safely to the wild.
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