Green and loggerhead sea turtles recovered with the help of vets and were released into their home, the Mediterranean Sea, after being found injured and exhausted.

Named "Mavi" (Blue), the green sea turtle was discovered with her fins injured in the southern Turkish province of Hatay. The loggerhead turtle, or Caretta caretta, named "Deniz" (Sea) was suffering from an illness and exhausted. Both were taken to the Sea Turtles First Aid and Treatment Center in Hatay, one of sea turtle hubs in Türkiye.

Blue, which weighs 50 kilograms (110 pounds), was found about two months ago, apparently injured in a dog attack, while Sea was taken to the center, established in Hatay in 2010, some four months ago after being found a beach. Blue was treated at an intensive care unit for turtles, while Sea underwent a lengthy rehabilitation to help her to regain her health.

On Thursday, both were released into sea on Hatay’s Samandağ beach.

The center’s director, professor Muhammed Enes Altuğ, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they receive a large number of sick or injured turtles every year. "We rescue some but some succumb their illnesses or injuries," he said. Currently, three sea turtles are being treated at the center. "Sea turtles play a crucial role in ecosystem balance and in the food chain. We are talking about a species of in which only a few survive from thousands of eggs laid. Thus, it is vital to keep especially female turtles alive," he said.

Altuğ said some 12 female green sea turtles were killed in dog attacks in the past four years on Hatay’s beaches. "Local administrations have a big responsibility on this issue, to take measures against stray dogs and to protect the turtles," he said.

There are seven known sea turtle species in the world, and Türkiye is home to loggerhead sea turtles and green turtles, who choose the country’s Mediterranean beaches for nesting. Their habitats stretch from the southwestern tip of the Mediterranean coast in Iztuzu in Muğla to Samandağı further east in Hatay.

The government and animal protection groups work to protect the turtles, which remain under the constant watch of volunteers. In the past two years, 231 dead turtles washed ashore across Turkish coasts, according to data from volunteers. The autopsies of 87 turtles in Türkiye last year found that 20% of them suffered from problems that stemmed from the consumption of plastic materials. In 2020, 32 turtles were found dead on different dates after consuming plastic.