The most recent sea turtle admitted into our Sea Turtle Hospital is one of the smallest sea turtles in the history of the program! Weighing only 2.09 kg (4.6 pounds), the Kemp's ridley was caught on hook and line by a shore fisherman on Edisto Island near Murray Street. When the fisherman and others realized they could not remove the hook that was deeply embedded in the back of the mouth, they turned the turtle over to the SC Department of Natural Resources to be transported to our Sea Turtle Hospital so the hook could be safely removed.
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| Lisa Scarano from SCDNR holds "Murray" as Dr. Boylan inspects the mouth. |
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| X-rays were performed to determine exactly where the hook was located. |
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| Fishing hooks show up well on x-rays and help guide surgery for hook removal. Notice all the shell hash in Murray's intestinal tract! Thanks to SCUTE, the Gobiens and all the folks that helped us acquire this priceless machine! |
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| With the turtle under anesthesia, hook removal surgery was performed. |
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Success! After the drugs wore off, Murray was placed in a filtered tank in the Sea Turtle Hospital, where s/he will spend several week recuperating.
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Murray is very active and eating well. Thanks to all involved in this turtle's rescue, to all involved in the recovery, and to all who support this program. There are currently 10 sea turtle patients at various stages of rehabilitation. Visit our Sea Turtle Hospital web page for updates on the patients and to learn about Sea Turtle Hospital tour days and times so you can visit the patients in person.
All the best,
Kelly Thorvalson
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