TWO turtles were injured by boats at sea before being rehomed in Weymouth.

Josie and Sharky both currently reside at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth and are two of more than 50 turtles cared for by the centres nationwide.

To increase awareness and protection of turtle and tortoise habitats and populations, the company has released some information on the backstories of some of their animals.

After being struck by a boat in Florida, Green Sea Turtle Josie had a big bubble of air under the shell which caused him to float.

In the wild, he would have been unable to dive properly to reach sea grass, his primary food source.

He was rehomed to Sea Life Weymouth in January 2022 alongside Sharky, who was also found in Florida after being struck by a boat. 

Sharky was moved to a turtle hospital which discovered damage to her shell caused by a propeller blade.

The damage caused deformation which in turn led to buoyancy issues, meaning she could no longer survive in the open ocean. 

The turtles who arrive at Sea Life have typically been hurt by boats, cold-stunned, have ingested or become entangled in plastics.  

These animals go through an intensive rehabilitation program to restore their health and strength and wherever possible are successfully returned to the wild.

However, due to a variety of reasons some turtles are unable to be returned to the ocean.