For every 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings that break free from their eggs, only one or two will survive to adulthood.
Those are not favorable odds.
And back in 2020, those odds were stacked particularly steep against Kai, the loggerhead sea turtle, when he was found in Struisbaai, South Africa.
The juvenile, barely weighing more than a pound, was unable to swim. With no time to spare, Kai was taken in by the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Center team.
“He struggled intensely with balance, often floating nearly vertically in the water,” the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation described on its website.
Diagnostic scans soon revealed that Kai had buoyancy issues caused by uneven lung development and recurring infections.
“Although our turtle vet, Dr. Bernice van Huyssteen, successfully treated the infection, the difference in Kai’s lung sizes remained an ongoing challenge,” the foundation explained.
“This little turtle needed serious intervention over and above our routine rehabilitation practices, which include quality nutrition, expert medical care, and regular enrichment activities to stimulate wild behaviors.”
Over the years, Van Huyssteen and the Turtle Conservation Center team worked hard to help Kai move more easily and live more comfortably. They first attached special weights to his right side to help balance his body, so his weaker lung could get stronger without the stronger lung working too hard. Kai also received regular physiotherapy, which reduced strain on his lungs and improved blood flow to his injured areas.
Later, a physiotherapist at the center recommended a “floaty” to keep his therapy going. By attaching a modified pool noodle to his top shell, his buoyancy noticeably improved. That pool noodle later became a specialized buoyancy device made out of high-density foam.
By 2025, Kai achieved a huge milestone: He was able to swim without an assistance device. Later that year, after the care team was sure that he was stable in his recovery, he was cleared for release.
“Kai’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and hope,” Talitha Noble-Trull, conservation manager at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, said in a press release.
On May 14, after six years of specialized medical treatment, rehabilitation, and care from the Turtle Conservation Center team, Kai was released into the waters of the De Hoop Marine Protected Area.
At the time of the release, he was a whopping 220 pounds.
“We are hugely excited to see where Kai ventures first, considering that he was last in the wild ocean six years ago as a young hatchling,” said Noble-Trull. “Watching him swim back into the ocean after such a long journey was deeply emotional for everyone who played a role in his recovery.”
“As his flippers touched the ocean for the first time since he was a tiny hatchling, he was watched over by the incredible community of people who supported his journey,” the Two Oceans Aquarium shared in an Instagram post.
Prior to his release, the conservation team affixed a satellite tag to Kai’s shell so that he could be tracked from space.
“Not only will we be able to follow his ocean travels, but his movements will also contribute to the global knowledge base on sea turtles and help us better protect his species.”
Below the Two Ocean Aquarium’s video, the comment section was filled with well-wishes.
“Safe travels, Kai,” one Instagram user said.
“Go Kai! May the ocean currents always be in your favor,” wrote another. “Thank you to the team.”
“Freedom!” cheered another user. “Thank you for the amazing work you do!”
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Header image via Roboflow Universe - Proyectos
