Santee and Eugenia will be released this Friday!

In partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and Charleston County Parks and Recreation, Santee, the 160-pound loggerhead that was rescued in September 2010 will be released this Friday, June 17th at 4pm at the Isle of Palms County Park.

Santee was rescued by Captain Chad Ferris of Tall Tails Charters. Check out the awesome rescue story with photographs at http://seaturtlehospital.blogspot.com/2010/09/.

Santee's primary medical issue was a gastrointestinal tract impaction but as a result of this impaction, she was suffering from severe edema, low blood protein and was positively buoyant (floating). After 1 1/2 months of treatment, Santee was finally able to pass the impaction and start the healing process. After a little over 8 months of treatment, she is ready to return to the ocean.

Comparison photos of Santee:

Eugenia, the juvenile green sea turtle rescued on Kiawah Island April 28th, 2011, will also be released on Friday. Upon admission, this turtle was very lethargic and in overall poor condition.

Read about Eugenia's admission and how she got her name at
http://seaturtlehospital.blogspot.com/2011/05/sea-turtle-rescue-program-is-off-to.html.

We are thrilled that Eugenia has made a quick recovery in just under 2 months - she was just medically cleared for release today. Just look at the difference that two months of medical treatment and the best animal care can do!!

Bloodwork is pending on the small Kemp's ridley, Taylor, that was caught by a fisherman on the Edwin S. Taylor pier on Folly Beach April 18th. If the bloodwork passes, Taylor will be included in this release, as well!

The public is invited to join us to send these beautiful, healthy sea turtles back into the ocean. Just remember: come early because parking is limited and traffic will be heavy, and County Park parking fees apply.

Hope to see you there!

- Kelly Thorvalson

Sea turtle release this Friday, June 3rd at 3pm

In partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and Charleston County Parks and Recreation, the South Carolina Aquarium will be releasing nine sea turtles back into the ocean on Friday, June 3rd at 3pm. The public is invited to come out to watch eight juvenile green sea turtles and one 200-pound loggerhead be returned to the ocean at Beachwalker County Park on Kiawah Island, SC. Parking space is limited and parking fees apply so we strongly encourage folks to come out to the beach early and to carpool!

Eight of the nine sea turtles being released are green sea turtles that were admitted in December 2010: Charms, Lewbart, Fisher, Cape Lookout, Sandy, Banks and Carteret from NC and Frosty from Hilton, Head, SC. The turtles were cold-stunned, an illness that affects sea turtles when a sudden drop in air temperatures causes coastal water temperatures to drop. This causes sea turtles to get hypothermia and it inhibits their ability to migrate into warm waters. Frosty actually suffered from frostbite and lost the tips of the front flippers. Below are a few photos from the admission of the cold-stunned greens and a more recent picture of several getting sunshine.

The loggerhead, Dawsey, was rescued after stranding on a sandbar at Caper's Inlet. 2 families were instrumental in staying with the wounded turtle until help could arrive. Sarah Dawsey and her crew from the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge got to the turtle just in time as the tide was rising. Dawsey's massive flipper wounds took several months to heal and she has been receiving physical therapy to increase the range of motion where scar tissue is abundant. She has been medically cleared and will make her return to the ocean on Friday! The photo below depicts what we often see Dawsey doing in her tank...looking out of her window at all the happenings in the hospital. Thanks for being such a great patient, Dawsey!

Huge thanks to everyone involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of these animals - there are so many I can't possibly name you all. Hope to see you Friday!

Kelly