First published on 8 Sep 2011. Updated on 26 Oct 2011.
While grey sharks and giant stingrays float majestically overhead in the underwater viewing tunnel, our girl can be seen in the corner – her head in a hole and backside in the air.
Meet Floaty. Weighing over 100 kilos, it’s hard to imagine that anything could hurt this great big marine creature, but it’s no coincidence that Floaty does, er, float a lot. In 2006, Floaty was hit by the propeller of a powerboat when she came up to the surface of the ocean in the Sydney area to take a breath. Injured and in desperate need of some TLC, she was taken in by the aquarium where she was nursed and rehabilitated.
Although Floaty is now happy and healthy, scars from the accident are still visible. If you take a closer look at the back end of her shell, you’ll see white marks fading in from the rim to the centre. It’s the large amount of scar tissue in her body that makes her float in that endearing way she does.
A fan of back rubs and squid (the chocolate of the sea, Sydney Aquarium tells Time Out), Floaty is not letting her injury get in the way of her ocean swagger. Because of their large size, Floaty and the other turtles at the aquarium dominate the joint. Even the sharks make way for her to come through.
Floaty the Turtle Sydney Aquarium, Aquarium Pier, Darling Harbour 2000. Mon–Sun 9am–8pm. $14–$35
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