Phoenix, the red-eared slider turtle, was pulled alive from the ashes of yesterday's devastating aquarium fire in Mapua by two Nelson firefighters, and is already being hailed as a symbol of hope for the future of the aquarium.

The turtle, nicknamed Phoenix by aquarium owner Murray Goss, was the sole survivor of the fire that razed the Touch the Sea Aquarium. The turtle was found "unharmed and quite perky" by senior firefighter Kevin Douglas, of Nelson, and firefighter Jarod Spencer. "I looked in the tank and saw it move its head and look up at me," Mr Spencer said.

Mr Douglas, who owns a pet turtle, believed it survived because of the depth of water it was in. The only other turtle that was in the tank perished after apparently climbing out of the tank.

"Other fish perished from debris dropping on to the tanks. This one was still in its enclosure," Mr Douglas said.

A constant stream of traffic, mothers with children and curious teens filed past the wrecked building late yesterday as police and firefighters continued the clean up and investigation into what detective John Nicholls, of Motueka, called a "non-accidental fire".

One woman wept at the sight of the surviving turtle, while nearby a mother explained to her child that all the fish had "gone to heaven". A small posy of spring flowers lay across an anchor that was once the front entrance to the building.

Phoenix, discovered to be a girl, was doing well after her ordeal, her caretaker, Natureland educator Roger Waddell, said today. The turtle, destined for a new home at Natureland zoo, had a checkup late yesterday with the zoo keeper and vet nurse, and did not appear to have been injured or upset by its ordeal. "Her behaviour seems to be normal and there's no evidence of any burns. She seems to have located herself below the water. They're quite resilient animals," Mr Waddell said.

He said Phoenix would remain under assessment at Natureland before being integrated with other turtles already there.

The fire at the aquarium also destroyed the office housing the business of Mapua urban and landscape designer Robin Simpson. She was yesterday struggling to come to terms with the loss of her office containing "many valuable drawings".

"I can't get my head around it, but the good thing is that no-one lost their life. It's a huge loss to Mapua, and such an irony that after all these years the park (created on the site of the former chemical works) was just about finished and ready to open," Ms Simpson said.

She said most of her work was backed up on computer files elsewhere. By mid-morning yesterday she had received some "very kind offers" of space in other design premises in Mapua from where she could work. "We have a really strong community and these things bring that out. It's sad for the children," Ms Simpson said.