Kelp the turtle's life got a lot brighter after receiving a helping hand from Magabala Books, which has sponsored the rescued turtle in celebration of the release of a heart-warming new children's book, Turtle Tears.
Written by proud Kalkadoon woman Megan Albany, who lives in the Northern Rivers of NSW, and illustrated by Paul Seden, a descendant from the Wuthathi and Muralag people of North Queensland, Turtle Tears was published in May this year.
In honour of the book's release, Magabala Books partnered with the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue in Ballina to sponsor Kelp, a turtle currently recovering from illness and receiving specialist care.
Kelp was originally found floating at the edge of a seawall at Cudgen Creek by a member of the public.
The Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue were contacted and arranged for Kelp to be taken to Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital for treatment.
Kelp was diagnosed with float syndrome, caused by gas in their gastrointestinal system, alongside electrolyte imbalances and low protein levels in their blood.
Despite these challenges, Kelp has been thriving in care and is now recovering in a large outdoor tank at the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue, with the hope of eventually returning home to Sea Country when ready.
Ms Albany said she was delighted her publisher had chosen to celebrate the book's release by supporting local wildlife.
"I love that my wonderful publisher has celebrated the release of Turtle Tears by sponsoring gorgeous Kelp," Ms Albany said.
"Hopefully, with the help of the incredible staff and volunteers at the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue, it won't be long before we are also celebrating Kelp's full rehabilitation and release."
The book itself explores themes of grief, sadness and the importance of allowing both children and adults to express their emotions.
Narrated by a young girl named Ruby, the story follows her no-nonsense Nan as she grieves for her late husband. Nan shares memories of a holiday in South America, where she and Pop witnessed turtles crying tears while butterflies fluttered down to drink them.
While science explains that butterflies drink the tears to obtain sodium, Ms Albany uses the extraordinary natural phenomenon as a metaphor for sharing sadness and supporting one another through grief.
During her book launch, Ms Albany visited the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue to see its wildlife rehabilitation work first-hand.
"For me, it was important that my children's book not only highlighted the extraordinary natural phenomenon found in Ecuador, where turtles cry tears like we do, but that we also listen and learn from what nature teaches us about sadness and grief," Ms Albany said.
"When the Ecuadorian turtles cry, butterflies flutter down to drink their tears. While science says this is because turtles are shedding sodium that the butterflies need, I prefer to think it's because the turtles are sharing their tears. Sponsoring a turtle is just one small way we can share our sadness over the challenges facing local wildlife into positive action."
With Magabala Books sharing updates on Kelp's recovery, the community can follow the turtle's journey towards rehabilitation and, hopefully, release.
