PATTAYA, Thailand – The Royal Thai Navy’s Sea Turtle Conservation Center in Sattahip has successfully rescued and treated a 20-year-old green sea turtle found stranded alive on Nang Rong Beach in Chonburi province, an hour drive from Pattaya. The rescue operation began at around 10am on May 22 after naval officials discovered the weakened turtle washed ashore at the popular beach in Sattahip district.
Captain Kwanmuang Kharestree, director of the Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtle Conservation Center, said a rapid response team was immediately dispatched after the stranded turtle was reported by officials from Sattahip Naval Base. When rescuers arrived, they found an exhausted green sea turtle measuring approximately 75 centimeters wide and 83 centimeters long. The turtle was rushed back to the conservation center for emergency treatment, where veterinarians discovered it had inhaled large amounts of seawater and sand into its mouth and throat.
Medical examinations also revealed several impact injuries on the turtle’s shell. X-rays later uncovered a fishing hook lodged deep inside the turtle’s mouth. Veterinarians quickly performed treatment including nasal and throat cleaning procedures, blood testing, infection screening, fluid therapy, and antibiotics before successfully removing the hook. The turtle is now recovering under close observation and will be released back into the sea once fully rehabilitated. Officials revealed that the Navy’s marine animal rescue teams have already responded to 19 rare marine animal incidents during the 2026 fiscal year, including rescues involving green turtles and hawksbill turtles. Several rescued sea turtles remain under treatment at the conservation center.
