Researchers follow Olive Ridley, Pemba's journey
Marine researchers say the Olive Ridley turtle released off KZN's north coast has to date travelled at least 400km, heading south.
It's been exactly a week today since Pemba was released off Mabibi on the Elephant Coast.
"We released her in a protected area and it was fantastic to see her go off. Since then, she's travelled about 400km down the coast. We thought she was possibly going to go towards Madagascar because there's a population of Olive Ridleys there.
"It turns out she has other plans. The latest data we have received, it showed that she was as Port St. Johns last night. It looks like she's heading to the Cape," Quarantine aquarist, Malini Pather said.
Pather says these movements show that the reptile could possibly belong to the population found along west Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean.
The turtle was found near Table Bay harbour and had suffered a suspected lung tear, and fractured shell.
The marine animal spent four years under rehabilitation at Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town and later monitored at uShaka Marine World in Durban prior to release.