Photo Log: SEA TURTLE HOSPITAL
Follow the Sea Turtle Rehab at the South Carolina Aquarium
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Second little green in one week
Saturday evening the DNR delivered a small green to the hospital. It seems like we get a stranding every year the evening of the South Carolina Aquarium Gala. It is always fun to see Kelly all decked out for a party working on the turtle. This little guy was found floating near Crosby Seafood by fishermen. He is a floater and will be with us for a while.
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Stranding Season Begins
A small (3.44kg) green was stranded on the beach in Myrtle Beach. He was quickly transported to the Sea Turtle Hospital. Dr. Jose Biascochia came by to organize the treatment for this little lathargic turtle.
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52 Sea Turtles Make the trip from New England to Florida for release
The 6 SUVs pulling into the gas station one behind the other, looked like the Secret Service. But instead of men in suits getting out of the vehicles, a bunch of road weary yet jolly sea turtle biologists and volunteers piled out. The crew of 12 from the New England Aquarium and National Aquarium started the trip to Florida in Quincy, Massachusetts on Saturday. They made several stops on their way to pick up sea turtles from various rehabilitation facilities that were ready for release. The stop at 5am on I-95 to pick up 5 sea turtles from the South Carolina Aquarium, made a grand total of52 turtles !
Long time Sea Turtle Hospital volunteer, Barbara Bergwerf and Kelly Thorvalson met at 2:30 am at the Aquarium for preparation and loading of turtles. The plan was to meet the Sea Turtle Trek caravan on I-95 between 4-5 am which was about an hour away.
When we met the caravan and opened the van doors, we found Ollie trying to sneak out of his container. Luckily we had packed the containers well so this was as far as the little escapee could get!
The Sea Turtle Trek arrived in Jacksonville, FL about 11am on Sunday morning and released all 52 sea turtles into the ocean. The release crew was happy to feel the warm Florida air and firm ground under their feet
The South Carolina Aquarium sea turtles left to right: Ollie (green); McNally and Kennedy (Kemp's ridleys close to their releasers and namesakes, Kerry McNally and Adam Kennedy); Kit (loggerhead), Shannon (exhibit loggerhead).
Most of these sea turtles were rescued this winter as part of the largest cold-stunning event on record in the Northeast. Many facilities, including the South Carolina Aquarium, pulled together to house the sea turtles because the New England Aquarium's Animal Rescue Center was overflowing with turtles. And many of the facilities were able to get sea turtles on this release....a beautiful ending to an exhausting but exhilarating winter. Releasing these animals back into the ocean has a way of wiping away the crazy amount of hours we all worked to get to this point - THIS is why we do what we do.
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Sea Turtle "1"............Interns "0"
Just another day at the office for hospital staff
First you have to catch them, then check them, avoid getting peed on and then get them numbered ________________________________________
Time to weigh,measure and tag eight coldstun patients
First you have to catch them...
The SCDNR stopped by to tag 7 Kemp's and one green as a first step toward their release.
Next you wait in line for some time with Dr. Shane
The turtles are measured and weighed to see how they are doing. Over the next few months they should be ready to be released.
The Lazzara family made a special trip to Charleston from Detroit to visit and drop off a donation to the hospital
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Average Day at the Hospital with 25 Patients!
With 25 turtles to take care of every day is busy. 25 separate diets to prepare, tanks to clean and do water changes, medications and shots to give, weights to keep track of, radiographs to take and visits to Dr. Shane ...tomorrow start all over again. The staff, interns and volunteers wouldn't trade it for the world!
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Ollie's wounds are showing great improvement
Bristol's Injuries Improving
Bristol came in late this falll with serious injuries caused by an encounter with a boat. The healing of the carapace wounds is remarkable. The fractured front flippers are improving and the turtle is moving and swimming around his tank.
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Five More Turtles Fly in From Boston
Private pilot brings 4 Kemps ridleys and 1 loggerhead to Charleston. The Sea Turtle Hospital is up to 25 patients.....a record!
Private pilot Michael Taylor flew an additional five sea turtles down to Charleston from the New England Aquarium in Boston. Mr. Taylor volunteered his time and his plane for transportation, stopping in Charleston on a way to a business meeting in Dallas. The flight went smoothly, with the only challenge being the largest turtle passenger, a loggerhead. The loggerhead’s bin did not fit into the passenger section of the plane, so the turtle had to be relegated to a cardboard box that was a bit the worse for wear by the time the flight ended. Taylor had to unload the turtle without the box and hand him off to Kelly Thorvalson. While getting checked in.....one little Kemps tried to make a get-a-way Weighed, measured and settled in to their new "digs"
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Three Small Loggerheads from North Carolina
First drive to SC/NC border to pick them up...............
Second drive them back to Charleston and get them unloaded and checked in........
Third check them out top to bottom, stem to stern..............
Last after a long day for the turtles and the Turtle Hospital staff... get them settled in their tanks. Meet the three new kids
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10 turtles arrive from the New England Aquarium The "cold stun" season started early in New England. Over a period of one month the New England Aquarium received over 150 stranded sea turtles. This sort of event happens every winter but these numbers are overwhelming for any one facility. The sea turtle rescue community stepped up and started planning to help. The South Carolina Aquarium was part of that endeavor. Kelly Thorvalson was in touch with Connie Merigo at the NEA and with the help of a donated "turtle flight" by Davis Air Charters the Sea Turtle Hospital has 10 new patients. All are doing well so make plans to tour the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital. Tours are available everyday EXCEPT Tuesday and Thursday CLICK on thumbnails to enlarge photos
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A late in the season stranding Local community members at Bristol Marina in downtown Charleston, SC, teamed together to rescue this little green from the space in between their floating docks. November strandings are rare in South Carolina but, with water temperatures still above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, sea turtles are still in our coastal waters this year. After a very quick transport across town to our hospital, "Bristol" arrived lethargic but responsive. In a lucky turn of events, Bristol was rescued and treated for severe wounds just hours after apparently being struck by a boat. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A very small green arrives(Mini Ming)
Naturalists from Kiawah Island's Night Heron Nature Center noticed something small floating in the water around the dock at Mingo Point and, luckily, decided to investigate. The floating object turned out to be a tiny green sea turtle we've named "Mini Ming." Swimming weakly and unable to dive, Mini Ming was rescued from the water and transported to our Sea Turtle Hospital by biologists from SCDNR. _____________________________________________________________________ Loggerhead arrives after being hit by two stingrays CLICK on thumnails to enlarge photos
__________________________________ Three Turtles Released by Boat Charlie Merigo (Kemps ridley) Olympian (National Aquarium in Baltimore) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A small green (Ollie) rescued right after being hit. In a rare turn of events, this little green we've named "Ollie" was rescued by NOAA employees working on a boat in the Folly River who observed this turtle being hit by another boat. SCDNR transported Ollie to our hospital immediately after the incident, and Ollie was able to receive treatment for his injuries within two hours of being hit. CLICK on thumbnails to enlarge photos
_______________________________________________________________________________________ A new fiesty Kemps ridley (Birdie) arrives with fishline wrapped around his neck and flipper CLICK on thumbnails to enlarge photos
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Three turtles released on Kiawah With these three turtles, the Sea Turtle Rescue Program has released 97 endangered sea turtles. Within the next months we should hit the magic number of 100. _________________________________________
Three turtles make a trip for CT scans Three species of injured sea turtles got CT scans in order to try and improve their chances for recovery. George, a boat shrike loggerhead, Merigo, a Kemp's ridley and our newest patient Eddie, a green were all loaded up and transported to the Charleston Veterinary Referrel Clinic where their staff took great care of these turtles. CLICK on thumbnails to enlarge photos
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Pier and Grover are released on Kiawah Kiawah's Beachwalker County Park hosted the release of Pier, a sub-adult loggerhead and Grover, a juvenile green sea turtle back to the ocean after months of rehabilitation at the SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital. Pier had a serious run in with a shark while Grover was rescued suffering from the cold March weather. CLICK on thumbnails to enlarge photos
___________________________________________________________________________ George is hanging in there On July 20, 2012, the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program a 53-pound loggerhead was found floating in Jones Creek in Georgetown County suffering from multiple boat propeller strikes. Although "George" has a dislocated bone in the front left flipper and lacerations to the neck and marginal scutes, the propeller did most damage to the skull. One strike cut off most of the nares (nostrils) and top portion of the beak. The propeller also struck the left side of the skull, fracturing both the maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw). Since loggerheads eat hard shelled prey in the wild, these jaw fractures are of great concern. George has had a feeding tube surgically inserted to allow the staff to tube feed both nourishment and meds. So far George is tolerating this procedure.
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A 5lb.Kemps comes in with a baited fishhook..ouch
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Grover doing well and looking georgous!
Grover came in last March and now 4 months later he looks like a different turtle!
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Gumby has his one year anniversary
Gumby came in from Kiawah just about a year ago. Since then he has had a lot of attention and treatment to solve the physical problems. His growth has been amazing.
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New Turtle from Bulls Bay
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources in-water research vessel, the Lady Lisa, captured a second loggerhead sea turtle this season that required admission into our sea turtle hospital. While trawling for turtles near Bulls Bay, SC, this juvenile we've named "Bulls Bay" sustained a stingray barb injury to his right eye region while being brought on board.
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"Dewees" is Improving
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A 60lb Loggerhead is Caught by Fisherman on Folly Pier
Meet "Pier"
A 27.8 kg loggerhead arrives from Folly Pier. A fisherman landed this 60lb. loggerhead and had the hook removed as Shannon Teders arrived. While checking out the turtle for other wounds it was obvious this guy had a run in with a large shark. The animal had suffered a nice shark bite to the carapace at least a month ago. A few bumps with the pier damaged the granulation tissue sohe has been put on pain meds and antibiotics for a hopeful short rehabilitation. Radiographs confirm no hooks in the throat. So what started out as an attempt by the turtle to catch an easy meal, ended up with a trip to the turtle hospital...at least he will have plenty of food and no sharks for a while.
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New 152lb. Loggerhead at Hospital
Meet "Charlie"
Charlie was collected during the DNR in water study. He, unfortunately, got involved with a stingray and had a barb embedded in his neck. He is doing well and will be ready to go after a round on antibiotics.
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Why are these people celebrating at The Windjammer?
Jammer........................Hamlin
Beacuse we had a great release on the Isle of Palms today. Two sub-adult loggerheads were released after a long stay at the SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital. Both turtles were in terrible shape when they arrived and have been recovering for about a year. Jammer was named for an island favorite, The Windjammer on IOP. Last fall they hosted a fundraiser for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program which was a huge success. Jammer may be back in the ocean but we plan on celebrating him and all the turtles at the turtle hospital with another event this September....Jammin' for Jammer II
Today both turtles were really ready to go and once they hit the water they were off. Well.... except for Jammer. He first made a full circle on the beach....some of us thought he might head for The Windjammer.
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BYE BYE JAMMER.....
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Six Turtles to be released on IOP
Little River, a hybrid and 4 Kemps ridleys will be released at the County Park on the Isle of Palms, April 29th at 10:30AM. Come out and see these turtles return to the ocean. Get there in well before 10:30 to get a good view.
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Update on Dewees
Dewees came in late Saturday afternoon. He wasn't moving and all of his vital signs were rough. Since beginning treatment he is becoming more active, swimming in his tank, biting at the cleaning hoses and the best news.....he has started to eat! We'll keep you posted.
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New Loggerhead Brought to the Hospital
A 70lb. loggerhead was rescued from Dewees Inlet and brought to the IOP Marina. Courtney Huering, Jim Hutson, Brian Duffy and Mike Picket carried the turtle to the DNR truck. This turtle was covered in barnacles of all types, shrimp, and crabs. This turtle is rough shape and only time will tell whether he can survive.
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Gumby is in the "Big Boy Tank"
Gumby needs to get more swimming time in a larger area. So he is in the large tank at the front end of the turtle hospital. Also in this tank are several big, and sort of scary fish. At first Gumby was a little overwhelmed and perhaps even a bit uncomfortable. Well now it appears the fish are the ones that are watchling their backs. Way to go Gumby!
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If it's not one thing it's another...
Little Kemps ridley, Merigo, has developed swollen joints. Apparently this is not unusal. But having the vet poke needles into your joints was not fun for this little turtle.
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Seven Cold Stun Turtles Doing Well
Six of the new little guys are Kemps ridleys. The seventh in yet to be determined. Eclipse looks mostly like a green, but lacks the serrated edge on his jaw that all greens have even at a young age. Time and some testing will tell us what we have. The best guess is a loggerhead/green.
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Seven Cold Stun Turtles Arrive at the Hospital
First new turtles for 2012
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Endangered sea turtles are use to the gulf stream, but 7 very lucky little turtles (6 Kemps ridleys and one hybrid Kemps/green) got a two and a half hour ride in the jet stream on Sunday. They were transported from the New England Aquarium on one of the lightest and most fuel efficient jets in the world, an Eclipse 500. The flight is being donated by North American Jets, a private jet charter service owned by Charleston local, Mason Holland. For over a month now, cold-stunned sea turtles have been washing up on the New England coast and many of the survivors are in critical condition. With numbers a bit overwhelming for the primary sea turtle rehabilitation facility in the northeast, the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program is stepping in to help. Kelly Thorvalson, sea turtle rescue program manager, “This is just looking out for the turtles and for each other,” she said.
Once at the Hospital, each turtle was checked and prepared to be put in a tank
Once at the Aquarium, the staff, interns and volunteers set to
checking out each turtle. Several had minor "scuffs" from their trip that were treated. Once their core body temperatures were equal to the water in their new tanks they were set in their new homes. They will remain in the Sea Turtle Hospital until they are in releasable condition and the waters in the area have warmed. Now is your chance to come see these turtles and the four loggerheads at the Sea Turtle Hospital. Go to: www.scaquarium.org and plan your trip. There are behind the scenes tours of the Hospital every day except Tuesday and Thursday. This is a rare opportunity to see a hybrid sea turtle that has been named "Eclipse" after the plane that gave him the ride to Charleston.
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Gumby has shown incredible improvement and growth over the past five and a half months
This little guy came in at 6.5 lbs and is now 21 lbs. What a difference a good diet has made.
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McClellan Released on the Isle of Palms
The SC Aquarium was excited to be able to release an adult female loggerhead back into the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, October 7. McClellan, a 230lb. female loggerhead, suffered a flipper amputation from a crab trap rope entanglement and loss of a portion of her shell from propeller strikes. Despite these traumatic injuries, she has recovered in less than four months!
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Two Turtles Released on Kiawah
Two young sea turtles were driven to The Santuary on Kiawah Island Friday afternoon to be released. Helping with the release was CNN's Philippe Cousteau. Cnn has been in South Carolina for the past couple of days filming. "Battery" and "18th Green" were greeted by a nice crowd when they arrived on the beach.
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Yawkey Has Brain Surgery
On 14 August 2011, thanks to the expertise of Dr.'s Jason King, Nora Schmidt, and Cheri Ristau, Yawkey's depressed skull fracture was filed down and altered to reduce inward pressure on the brain last. While the surgery itself went perfectly, Yawkey failed to breathe on his own until 44 hours after surgery (an abnormally long time). He is currently stable, on daily fluids, and able to rest in his tank of water. It is currently unknown if he will fully recover from his head wound.
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Gumby Looking Much Better
Gumby has been getting out for sun and receiving daily injections of dietary supplements. He is much more active and is moving around his tank. He even dives for his food and swims on the bottom. This is a huge improvement. His recent radiographs even show improvement in the density of his bones. Note the bones in his flippers are more visable. Good news but this little guy has a long way to go
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Barrington gets some "weight belt therapy"
Barrington is surviving his brain surgery, but not eating and floating. In order to help him overcome the floating condition a wieght belt is being used to encourage him to swim on the bottom of the tank. So far all it has done is seem to annoy him....as he works to loosen the belt and get it off. That in itself is sort of a positive sign!
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McClellan is improving....looking better and better
McCellan on the day she was brought in .......................................................and now swimming in her tank!
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No New Turtles for About a Week. Treatments Take Up the Hospital's Time
Little Gumby gets out everyday for some vitamin D. He is out in the sun, with a companion, to make sure his water stays an acceptable temperature which means new staff member Whitney Daniel sits with the turtle....she doesn't have the luxury of a bag of ice to keep her cool. Meanwhile McClellan has improved and is moved to a filtered tank with enough water for the turtle to swim.
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Yawkey Rescued and Delivered to the Hospital
July 13, 2011
This tiny 13.56 kg loggerhead is the smallest wild loggerhead ever reported to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Small juveniles of this species are typically pelagic animals in the North Atlantic Gyre and often found around the Azores. However, Yawkey was thriving in the wild until he was struck by a boat propeller just offshore of Yawkey Wildlife Preserve. The prop sliced deeply through the right side of his head, damaging his cranium, eye and beak; caused minor damage to his neck and shoulder; and sliced deeply through the right side of his carapace.
When Yawkey first arrived he didn't look too bad.....until you walked around the scale and saw this little guy from the other side.
Yawkey's heart rate was strong upon arrival (48 bpm) but his blood work indicated that extensive hemorrhaging had occurred. He received pain meds, injectable vitamins, antibiotics, and fluids upon arrival. His wounds were carefully flushed to remove debris, and our veterinarian was able to use hardware and sutures to neatly close the carapace (see pic). Yawkey's damaged right eye was extremely swollen upon arrival, and we are unsure if the eye itself is functional. The head and carapace wounds were packed with ointment and covered with tegaderm.
Radiographs have since revealed broken bone in his right flipper and over time the eye has improved. This little turtle has a long way to go.
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Barrington Survives Brain Surgery
July 14, 2011
Barrington makes the trip from the Turtle Hospital to the make shift operating room on the first floor.
Barrington was rescued from the surf in Hilton Head on 2 June 2011. The eyes and nares were nearly sealed shut by a crust of barnacles, and epibionts on the carapace included tube worms, sea squirts/tunicates, and small crabs. The keratin is missing from the soft tissues, and a bright pink layer of epithelium is exposed. His skin and scutes improved and healed, but once the scutes were clean it became obvious that he had damage on his skull directly above the brain.
On July 14th our veterinarian, Dr. Shane Boylan, was joined by Dr.’s Nora Schmidt and Cheri Ristau (pictured below) who volunteered their time to assist with Barrington’s experimental surgery. A newly donated Stryker saw, a crucial tool for precision bone cutting, was used to remove a triangular portion of the top of the skull, and the bone fragment was extracted intact. However, we began to worry when Barrington failed to start breathing on his own and his heart rate remained depressed more than twelve hours after surgery. Recovery efforts by STH staff and interns continued until after 3:00 A.M. the next morning.
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Although Barrington is still in the early stages of recovery, watching him navigate around his tank of shallow water gives us hope that the brain surgery he underwent was successful. During his first month in our hospital, Barrington’s body quickly recovered from the severe keratin loss on his soft tissues and head. However, his demeanor was poor and he began exhibiting worsening neurological symptoms indicative of brain trauma. Barrington typically floated motionless in his tank, reacted very painfully during treatments, exhibited odd motor skills (his body tensed up completely when he was handled and he wouldn’t use his front flippers to swim), and began twisting his head up and to the left when agitated.
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Why are these folks smiling?
They got to release three sea turtles, rehabilitated at the SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital
Grice(loggerhead)...Bennett(Kemps ridley)...Lisa (loggerhead)
Grice
Bennett
Lisa
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Meet "Gumby" Our Little Mystery Turtle.
Gumby is a very young loggerhead that was brought in from Kiawah on June 26th. This turtle's journey to end up at the SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital is a real mystery. Loggerheads this size, by all rights, belong in the Azores off Africa...not on the southeast coast of the United States. This little guy came in very lethargic and just didn't look normal. We have had hatchlings brought in directly from a nesting beach to be cared for and raised for a three year period. This turtle looks very different than the loggerheads we have cared for. His physical condition is terrible. He has very little muscle tone and appears to have a great deal of fat.
Once radiographs were taken Dr. Boylan's suspicions were confirmed. Gumby has serious metabolic bone disease. The concensous is this turtle could not have gotten into this terrible condition in the wild. He would have had a proper diet or he would have perished. It is only a guess, but it appears this turtle was somehow taken and kept in captivity. He was given no sun and an improper diet. When whoever took him decided he was too big to keep and perhaps was tired of this little guy he was put in the ocean. Luckily he washed up on the beach before being attacked by a predater that would have found him easy prey.
Gumby is being fed a proper diet and is a bit of a pincushion with daily injections. He is taken outside for some vitamin D everyday under the watchful eye of the Turtle Hospital staff. (The white bucket has ice in it to keep the little guy's water from getting too warm)
Time will tell but this little guy is getting a lot of TLC.
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A Surprise Nest #18 for IOP McClellan lays 119 Eggs
The SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program and the Island Turtle Team (IOP and Sullivans Island) got to share an amazing experience today. McClellan, a severely injured female loggerhead, was brought into the Aquarium a few days ago from the Cape Romain area with a severed front flipper from a crab pot rope and a boat strike wound. Her story was in Friday morning's Post & Courier. Last night the severely injured loggerhead laid 119 eggs.
They were carefully put in buckets of sand by the interns working at the Turtle Hospital. Kelly Thorvalson got DuBose Griffin of SCDNR to give permission for the Island Turtle Team to relocate them to a safe incubation spot on the Isle of Palms. A nest was created and the eggs were carefully placed in the warm sand in front of 608 Ocean Blvd. The Turtle Team has done this kind of relocation before with eggs that were in water shortly after being laid, and they were fine because development had not yet begun. Everyone is optimistic that this clutch will do well.
The eggs are safely deposited on the IOP and the combined crew from the SC Aquarium and the Turtle Team took time to enjoy the moment.
Now the wait begins................................
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BUSY, BUSY, BUSY............................
Two turtles arrived on the 21st. In the afternoon a 227lb. loggerhead arrived from Cape Romain. This girl, named McClellan, lost her right flipper becuase of an entanglement with a crab trap rope. Much later, at 11:15pm, a small Kemps arrived from Beaufort. This little guy had swallowed a fishing hook. Because of the late hour it was decided, after getting a radiograph,to do surgery on the new Kemps, named Laurel, the next day.
McClellan
Laurel's surgery
Meanwhile the other guys "hung out" looking much improved!
Barrington...................................Hamlin..................................Jammer
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Three Turtles Released on the Isle of Palms
The SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital is having a record number of turtles. Luckily three of the current patients were ready to go. Santee a 160lb. loggerhead and two little guys, Taylor a Kemps ridley and Eugenia a green, made their way out to the Isle of Palms with the help of the hospital staff and volunteers. In front of a huge crowd these three turtles were returned to the ocean.
Santee
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Eugenia
Taylor
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A First for the Turtle Hospital - An Adult Kemps ridley
Meet Bennett
Bennett was delivered by the DNR to the turtle hospital with a puncture wound from an encounter with a sting ray. This turtle weighs nearly 80lbs. which is the largest Kemps we have seen. Outside of the small puncture wound, this turtle seems strong and healthy. Today the turtle had a series of X-rays to take a look at the wound and try and identify any reason the turtle is floating a bit.
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Eugenia -Then and Now!
Six weeks makes quite a difference for this little green.
This little green sea turtle (3.96 kg) was found on the beach 28 April 2011 near the Kiawah Island Inn. Joe Pezzullo of the Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol assisted in the rescue of this barnacle-encrusted turtle, who was immediately transported to our Sea Turtle Hospital by SCDNR. In keeping with our protocol of naming turtles by stranding location, this turtle was named "Eugenia" after a prominent avenue in the vicinity. Eugenia is the third live sea turtle our hospital has admitted for rehabilitation this year
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Another Juvenile Loggerhead Arrives in Style
June 6, 2011
Both DNR and the Sea Turtle Hospital crew were waiting at the Maritime Center for the "Lady Lisa" to deliver yet another loggerhead with "skin" issues. Despite the missing kerratin on the flippers, the animal is strong and fiesty. So far it seems this condition is in an early stage. Which is good news.
Meet Lisa
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9 Turtles Released on Kiawah 8 Greens and 1 Loggerhead
Immediately following the 1pm tour on Saturday the hospital crew started to "pack" up the 8 small greens, getting them ready for their trip to Kiawah. These little guys have been at the turtle hospital recovering from a coldstun event. They stranded in the winter and if they hadn't been rescued and brought to the SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital they would have perished. Along with this cargo of greens there was one 200 lb. loggerhead named Dawsey. Dawsey was rescued by two families picnicing on Capers Island. They found her stranded with a serious, life threatening wound on her left front flipper. These two families waited for hours with the turtle until help arrived. Dawsey has been a great patient -- stoic and calm. It is emotional to release any turtle but this girl surely would have died if she hadn't been rescued and at 200 lb. she is close to nesting age.
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Next Stop Beachwalkers Park on Kiawah!
Diane and Charms
Barb and Lewbart
Sherry and Fisher
Hazel and Frosty
Christi and Banks
Jacquie and Cape Lookout
Kelly and Sandy
Joe and Carteret
Last but certainly not least.........Dawsey
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Jammer is hanging in there....but has a long way to go.
Jammer is trying to eat but has some sort of blockage that Dr. Shane Boylan and the Turtle Hospital staff are trying to clear. Using the radiograph as a tool to see what is going on with Jammer was a bit of a challenge. The Aquarium is building a new surgical suite and in the meantime our radiograph is tucked away in a storage closet. Never the less Jammer did get his radiograph and his future treatment is being decided. Hopes are high, but he still has a long fight ahead.
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7 Turtles Released on Isle of Palms
HILTON
Hilton, a loggerhead sea turtle, washed up last summer on Hilton Head debilitated and covered in barnacles. Kelly Thorvalson and Christi Hughes carried Hilton down the beach with these two adorable "turtle ladies" carrying a poster to identify Hilton for the huge crowd that came to Isle of Palms to see the release.
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GUARDIAN
Hyde is a juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle that was part of a cold stunnning event off the North Carolina coast in December. Over a 100 sea turtles stranded as part of this event. Megan Walsh and some students from Ashley Hall help introduce Guardian to the crowd.
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HYDE
Hyde the second of the Kemps from North Carolina was released by Sea Turtle Hospital intern Whitney.
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Ripley
The little green sea turtle was the victum of a boat strike. After month of wound treatment and antibiotics, Ripley has recovered and was ready to be released by volunteer, Bev Ballow. Ready to rejoin the sea turtle population.
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St. CATHERINE
St. Catherine was caught on a SCDNR research vessel and had an unfortunate run-in with a stingray. The stingray barb broke off in the tissue between the shoulder and neck and had to be surgically removed.
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PIRATE
Pirate stranded on Myrtle Beach in front of Pirate Land Campground and was found to be suffering from lockjaw. After 8 months of tube feeding and doing physical therapy on the jaws, he could open his mouth just enough to fit in small peices of fish. Over the next year, he made great progress and is now able to feed on large, live blue crabs. After almost 2 years in our care, this animal is finally ready for release!
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and last but not least... PALMER
Palmer, the loggerhead from the Isle of Palms, is one of the most serverely emaciated and anemic sea turtles we have ever treated. He is 25 pounds heavier and an active bundle for Mary Pringle (Island Turtle Team) and Sgt. Derrick Ambuss (IOP PD) to release back on IOP
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A Live Stranding on Isle of Palms
The DNR called the Isle of Palms volunteers on Monday morning to report that there was a turtle washed up on the beach near the pier on IOP. When we first arrived the turtle appeared very sick and we weren't sure if it was still alive. We got a reflex response when we moved a finger very near its eye and knew the turtle was stilling alive...but barely. DuBose Griffin quickly arrived on the beach to collect the turtle and drive the turtle to the Sea Turtle Hospital at the SC Aquarium.
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Once the "Jammer" arrived at the Aquarium, he was admitted and assessed by the rehab staff. The turtle was weighed and measured. Fluids were given and antibiotics were started. He is covered with several types of barnacles and looks miserable but these hitchikers are the least of this turtle's problems. They will be dealt with once the turtle is stable.
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First Stranding for the Season - Meet "Taylor"
Taylor is a 4lb Kemps Ridley, the second smallest turtle the hospital has ever admitted. He was caught by a fisherman on the pier at Folly. The fisherman removed the hook, but it was obvious this little guy has other issues. So far he is active and starting to eat.
This turtle gives us a really full house....we are treating 20 turtles at the present time. With the water warming up the Aquarium should be able to release several turtles over the next few weeks. Watch the SC Aquarium website for release information. www.scaquarium.org
With Spring break there have been lots of visitors to the Turtle Hospital. They were happy to see this little turtle. Taylor was dehydrated and needed to receive liquids and antibiotics.
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Working to Improve our Turtles' Diet
Our little green sea turtles grow up to be vegetarians....we have always given them romaine lettuce, but now we are giving them a measured diet of many different veggies. We have made holders that sort of create a buffet for their lunch they eat every bite!!!
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Cathedral Academy Makes a Donation
Students from Cathedral Academy stopped by the turtle hospital with much needed supplies as a donation and handmade get well cards for the turtles. The donation of supplies were appreciated, but the beautiful handmade cards brought a smile to everyone's face and will be on display for everyone to see and enjoy when they visit the hospital.
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No New Turtles Just Taking Care of the 19 We Have
We see these turtles day and day out so we don't notice the degree of improvement. It is nice to see how much little "Ripley" has improved. The wound has filled in and the carapace is stable the color on the shell is fantastic.
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Week Ends With a BIG Addition to the Turtle Program
Kelly Bragg from the Kiawah Island Community Association and Kiawah Turtle Team stopped by with a 4 wheel drive truck for the Aquarium and Sea Turtle Rescue Program. Kevin Mills and Kelly Thorvalson were happy to accept the keys.
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Ripley's Carapace Wound is Healing Nicely
Intern, Megan Walsh got Riplay out of his tank to check his wound and clean off his beautiful shell.
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The New Year Brings More of the Same
At the moment we have dozens of tiny green hatchlings in our care....waiting for a ride to the warm waters of the gulfstream. For the most part they are doing well and are eager eaters.
Frosty is probably are most serious cold stun case with frost bite on both front flippers. It is a matter of time for the dead tissue to disappear and the wounds to improve. For now Dr. Shane and the staff are paying close attention to his problems.
Both cold stun Kemps ridleys had blood work done to update their condition. Both turtles are active but have become "picky" eaters.
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The End of a Very Busy Year
This year the Turtle Hospital admitted 27 turtles and at the moment we have 19 patients being treated. Four are Kemps ridleys, ten are juvenile greens and 5 are sub-adult loggerheads. Twelve turtles were released after successful treatment. Besides the day to day treatments and care for these animals the staff and volunteers have reached out over and over to the community through tours and educational programs. Besides the normal schedule Kelly, Cristi, Shane, intern Megan and volunteer Barb made a trip to Marathon to a rehabilition workshop. It was a great trip and a long drive.
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Returning on the 6th of December we got back in the van to drive back down to Florida three days later to release two turtles that made their way to the SC Aquarium via the Virginia Aquarium and May our little Kemps. Kelly and volunteers Barb and Barb made the drive to meet up with the Georgia Hospital to release 4 animals in water that was still warm enough for a safe release.
This "quick" round trip helped make room for the 10 cold stun turtles we have recieved since our return late on December 9th. Our latest turtle, Frosty, has some serious problems with frostbite damage. We are treating a damaged flipper and possible eye damage.
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And One More...This Turtle is From SC
This Wednesday another call came in to the Aquarium. There was a green juvenile stranded on Hilton Head. It is unusual for SC to have cold stun turtles, but not surprising with the cold weather. Jenna from the SC DNR drove down to Hilton Head to pick up this little turtle. Luckily this is a small turtle, so making room for it was possible. The Sea Turtle Hospital staff waited for "Frosty's " arrival and then went through the standard admittance procedure. The hospital staff had the help of Kelsey Thorvalson (Kelly's Daughter). Kelsey recorded the medical exam with her video getting up close to record the turtles exam. "Frosty" was put in a swallow tank over night before joining the other little greens and once again Dawsey was very interested in what was going on.
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DNR Delivers a Truck Load of Turtles
Many hours before Gretchen Coll of the SC DNR pulled up at the Turtle Hospital, DNR and the Turtle Hospital were preparing for the arrival of 14 cold stun sea turtles from North Carolina. The hospital was comfortably full before we got the call from NC that they were having a massive cold stun event, so some major adjustments had to be made to the limited tank space we have. Hours were spent constructing mesh enclosures and tank dividers to hold our present turtles while making room for the new little greens and Kemps that were arriving.
Finally the new baskets were made and our present turtles moved over with about a half hour to spare.
About 7:30pm Gretchen Coll SCDNR pulled up with were carload of sea turtles. 14 in all with five just staying the night on their way to Georgia Center for Sea Turtles.
The next 4 hours these lucky little turtles were admitted and their physical condition was assessed and medical treatment was begun.
Hours passed and there seemed to be an unending line of turtles to check from "head to toe"
By the end everyone was looking a little tired, except "Dawsey" our 190lb. loggerhead. She seemed quite interested in who would be moving in "next door"
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Moving Day at the Turtle Hospital
Dawsey spent some time checking out the new tenant in "18"s tank
"Ripley" is now sharing a tank with our other little green sea turtle, "18th Green". "18" is not at all happy about the prospect of spending the next few months with this little "brat". He has always had his own space and now he has someone watching and trying to bite him whenever he sticks his nose too close to the divider. One bonus might be the fact that Ripley is a slower eater and some food might just make it's way to "18"s side of the tank.
Santee is Moved to a New Tank
Santee and Hilton traded tanks. The move will hopefully help the volunteers keep both turtles tanks cleaner.
There is a mindset to moving a sea turtle...........you have to accept the fact that you will get wet.......how wet depends on how lucky you are and how quick you can grab and control the turtle that you have fooled into coming near you. Once you have control you have won the battle....but that doesn't mean you will be dry!
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Compare
Palmer when he was rescued on the Isle of Palms and the way he looked this past week when he was taken out to be weighed and photographed. And YES it is the same turtle!!!
Palmer was rescued June 10 and was one sad looking turtle. Today he looks fat and sassy.
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A New Kemps Delivered to the Turtle Hospital
A research vessel delivered a 10.24 kg Kemp’s ridley to DNR today around 7 am. Gretchen (DNR) and Christi (SCA) were thankfully cheery at 7 AM. The animal had a deeply imbedded stingray barb in the right shoulder. Captain Pearse and crew did a great job stabilizing this little “guy” overnight until they could get to port the next day. The turtle arrived in good shape. We would like to report the barb was small, easy to find, and quickly removed. Reality was it took 1 hour with a 3 cm incision to get the whopping broken 7.6 cm barb out. The barb is big enough to make Dr. Boylan believe we had a 60+ lb (2.5ft+ wingspan) Southern stingray involved.
Everyone tried to get in close to try and see the "barb"
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Dr. Boylan used a dime in one radiograph to mark the location of the entrance wound because the barb was nowhere near the wound. The distances between entrance wound and barb may not look like much, but every centimeter matters when you are bluntly dissecting muscles in your shoulder trying to find where in the world that huge barb migrated. The barb also perfectly camoflauged itself in fat at an interesting angle. Our patient retained jaw tone (tried to bite) with a 4 heart rate so it was a long morning for everyone involved. Endoscopy didn’t turn out to be too helpful since the barb left the wound track and lodged in fat/muscle requiring a little cutting. Without radiographs, we would have had real trouble so thank you again SCUTE/Debordieu/Gobiens and crew. The turtle is on pain medications, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, fluids, and TLC. We will do our best to mollify the upcoming necrotizing fasciitis that is created by the stingray venom. We will keep you posted.
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Seabrook Can't Overcome Her Injuries
Seabrook died sometime overnight and was found by Kelly Thorvalson this morning. After sending out the announcement of Seabrook's passing, Kelly received a note from a resident of Seabrook Island.
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Badly Injured Loggerhead Comes in From Seabrook
The sea turtle patrol on Seabrook got a call from some tourists on the beach. While walking on Seabrook tourists encountered a seriously injured loggerhead and did the right thing by calling for help for this turtle. Arturo Hererra, SCDNR, quickly picked up the turtle and brought her to the Sea Turtle Hospital. The Hospital staff got everyting ready for the new patient and were ready and waiting at 9PM when the turtle arrived.
First step is to assess the injuries which were obvious and lifetreatening. It looks as if this turtle had a terrible run in with at least one shark. Both left flippers have been torn off with exposed bones. There are teeth marks on the carapace (shell) and on the head. One of the first steps is taking blood to see what kind of shape the animal is in. Also the turtle was weighed to help determine the amount of medications that will be tolerated by the animal.
Once the blood values were determined the medications could be started. There is massive infection that has to be dealt with and of course this turtle is in terrible pain. There are open wounds covering the animal that took hours to clean. This turtle's future is uncertain, but the dedicated staff and volunteers at the Sea Turtle Hospital will do all they can to help this amazingly tough animal survive. The SC Aquarium needs your support...your donations are what help make this hospital run! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dawsey's Wound is Improving _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Two most recent turtles, Ripley and Dawsey are being treated for serious wounds Two new interns started this week. Megan's challenge was to get the little green, Ripley out of the tank without getting soaked...nice job. Wound care for both new turtles is the work for now. Antibiotics and assessing the turtles overall condition is taking up our time.
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190lb. Loggerhead Rescued from Capers Meet "Dawsey" It may have been a holiday for some……but it was just another “day at the office” for the turtle team at Cape Romain. Kelly was fortunate to be with the Cape Island turtle crew on Monday when she got a call from some friends. They had found an injured 190lb loggerhead in Capers Inlet. The USFWS boat was deployed and they were able to get to the turtle just in time. The loggerhead was stranded on a sanbar to low tide, but as the tide started to rise, she was able to swim closer to the sea. The turtle was driven to the Sea Turtle Hospital. “Dawsey” has a very large infected wound on the front left flipper and is suffering from septicemia. CLICK on thumbnails to enlarge photo ___________________________________________________________ 18th Green Needs Some Attention Since arriving at the Turtle Hospital, "18th Green" has had some issues floating. This has caused him to have his rear end a bit higher than his head and shoulders. Add to this a curious nature and you have a situation where the back of his skull is pinching the tissue between the base of his head and the edge of his carapace (shell) A lump has formed where the tissue has been pinched and Dr. Boylan has decided to try and ease the pressure. This little guy has been moved to a tank with a window and a cover will be put onthe tank to stop him from straining to look up and hopefully this will take the pressure off this area and the lump will decrease with time. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18th Green came in covered with barnacles and algae. In just a few weeks his shell, flippers and skin have been cleaned off and he is a much happier little turtle. CLICK on thumbnails to enlarge photos 
This juvenile green sea turtle has been suffering from a debilitating intestinal impaction. Treatment included subcutaneous fluids 2X/day to combat dehydration, vitamin and antibiotic injections, tube feeding of mineral oil concoctions, enemas, and almost daily radiographs to be sure the impaction was moving through the intestinal tract. Just last week, the animal finally defecated a few times and it was almost no surprise that several pieces of plastics were in the fecal matter. These vegetarian green sea turtles often eat plastics that collect in seagrass beds in which they feed. This should be an important reminder to keep trash out of our natural environment!
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Three Year Old Loggerheads Out for Sun
About every month the sea turtles on exhibit and waiting to go on exhibit are weighed and measured by the husbandry staff of the aquarium. The four three year old loggerheads, that will soon be released, were taken outside for sun and at the same time were measured and weighed. This age (and size) loggerhead is not seen in South Carolina waters and it is a treat to see how beautiful these young turtles are. Their pristine condition is a reflection of the care they receive and the fact they are in a protected environment.
