Sea turtle found stranded and weak on Phuket’s Patong Beach

A sea turtle weighing over 50 kilograms was discovered stranded and weak on Patong Beach in Phuket on September 3. The exhausted animal was found by Jiraporn Wijit, who was walking along the beach at around 6 am. Wijit alerted lifeguards who immediately responded to the situation. The lifeguards removed the turtle from the shoreline, provided initial medical assistance and monitored its condition while arranging for further help.

The Siritharn Rare Marine Animal Rescue Centre, located in Laem Phanwa, was called to take over the turtle's care. The turtle was expected to be handed over to the center for a thorough health examination and any required treatment, though this may have already taken place at the time of publication. The rescue center plans to keep the turtle until it recovers sufficiently to be released back into the ocean.

The cause of the stranding remains unknown, and no injury or illness has been confirmed by the rescue team. Stranded sea turtles have been reported on Phuket's beaches on multiple occasions in recent years, often with no visible injuries, as in the case of a 30-kilogram turtle found on Bang Tao Beach in September 2024. Other incidents have involved turtles entangled in fishing nets, with rescuers freeing and treating these turtles, although not all survive such injuries.

Marine officials have also responded to related cases involving protected species, including a decomposed dugong whose death was likely caused by natural reasons.