Scott (left) and a staff carrying Covid into the sea. KOTA KINABALU (Aug 31): Guests at Gaya Island Resort were treated to a special sight when two endangered Green sea turtles, rehabilitated back to health, were released into the open sea in celebration of Merdeka Day. The turtles, named Covid and Barbara, were set free from the island’s Malohom Beach by conservationists from the resort’s Marine Centre, while tourists and guests watched them swim into their natural habitat.
Scott Mayback, the resident biologist at the Marine Centre, shared that both turtles had faced significant challenges but were nursed back to health through dedicated and constant care by the team. Covid was discovered floating near a water village at Pulau Gaya in March 2020 and was brought to the Marine Centre. “He had a severely damaged carapace, extreme weakness, and malnourishment.
Through years of medication, numerous surgeries, and therapies such as buoyancy syndrome therapy, Covid made an impressive recovery,” Mayback said. Barbara, he said, was rescued in March 2023 at Sabah’s east coast Mabul Island and brought to the centre for rehabilitation. Although her symptoms were similar to Covid’s, they were not as severe, and she received the same treatment.
“We have seen remarkable transformations in both Covid and Barbara. After showing significant improvement in buoyancy, they were transferred to a man-made sea cage where they could re-experience living in the sea. These beautiful sea .