Ruby came into Janine Green's care March 22, 2013. Weighing 11kg the turtle was found in Pambula Lake by a visitor from Melbourne who was fishing and saw the exhausted turtle.

The turtle was taken to Janine Green of WIRES who has become known as the turtle queen, and placed on a drip, a heat pad, given antibiotics and vitamin B injections as she was malnourished. She was then force fed and her damaged shell treated.

She started eating after about six weeks was later placed at the Merimbula Aquarium until her release when she weighed in at 14kg.

Emerald was found in Bermagui River on June 10, 2013 and was canoed upstream for two hours. She weighed 9.8kg and also suffered from malnutrition and was thoroughly exhausted when she came into Janine's care. She too was placed on a drip, a heatpad, antibiotics and vitamin B injections. She responded well to treatment and when released weighed 13kgs.

On Tuesday afternoon a small but very excited crowd gathered to watch the release of these magnificent turtles. Both were weighed and tagged. The back doors of the Aquarium were then opened as Baron Green and Michael McMaster each carried the not so calm turtles down the rocky foreshore before letting them go.

Within seconds they had vanished from view and hopefully were off to live a long life in their natural habitat after a lucky rescue from a not-so-promising start.

Janine thanked Merimbula Aquarium, Lyn and Alan Scrymgeour, Michael McMaster and NPWS for their support with the two turtles.