South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Rescue Program Releases 100th Sea Turtle!

The South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Rescue Program hit a major milestone on December 27, 2012 by releasing the 100th rehabilitated sea turtle back into the ocean! Gumby, a juvenile loggerhead that stranded on Kiawah Island June 26, 2011, was suffering from severe metabolic bone disease among other problems and the prognosis was poor. During Gumby's 18 month stay, s/he made amazing strides in the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. You can see his amazing recovery on past blogs here, here and here. Gumby was medically cleared in late December and released in the Gulf Stream off the coast of North Carolina by the crew the US Coast Guard Cutter Block Island!

Comparison Photographs

Comparsion shot of Gumby's changes after 6 months in the hospital.

Profile comparsion of Gumby after a year of medical treatment and expert care.

Size comparsion from admittance to a year in the hospital.

The Release



Gumby boarding the US Coast Guard Cutter Block Island.



Heading to the deck.

Crew prepping the basket to be lowered.

Off he goes...good luck, Gumby!

 

A Trip Through Time

Photographs taken throughout Gumby's stay in the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital.

We are so excited to have reached this milestone and it would not have been possible without a great deal of support.  A HUGE thanks to everyone involved over the years with the rescue, rehabilitation and release of 100 sea turtles from the South Carolina Aquarium! 

Whitney Daniel

Sea Turtle Biologist

Gumby Gets Excited About Fill Pipe!

Start your weekend off right with a fun video starring Gumby interacting with his fill pipe and water! 

 

Sea Turtle Rescue Team

Gumby's One Year Anniversary

If you have made a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital recently, you have met our spunky loggerhead Gumby! His feisty attitude and curious nature always make him a visitor favorite. If you are new to Gumby’s story, you can read about his admission and his December update here. It is truly remarkable to see how far Gumby has come just in one year!

Gumby was found stranded on the beach of Kiawah Island on June 26, 2011.

Over the past 12 months with the help of a healthy diet, vitamins and exposure to UV light, staff and volunteers have watched drastic changes in Gumby's size and demeanor. Upon admittance Gumby weighed only 6.5 pounds, had severe metabolic bone disease, and was extremely lethargic. He is now 6 times that original weight,  weighing in at 39 pounds and has also almost doubled in length. We also have seen a significant change with his demeanor, watching transform into the feisty sea turtle he is today.

Plastron comparison of Gumby over the year.

Profile comparison showing not only Gumby's changes physically but also the vibrant change in coloration.

A great shot to fully grasp how Gumby has grown in just one year!

Regardless of Gumby's troubled past, his natural instincts are still present. Gumby shows off his hunting abilities in the video below enjoy!

Come see Gumby's remarkable changes first hand on one of tours!

Whitney Daniel

Sea Turtle Biologist

Gumby is growing and thriving

If you haven’t seen Gumby since this summer, you wouldn’t recognize him. This feisty and aggressive loggerhead no longer bears any resemblance to the little sea turtle that floated nearly motionless at the surface of his tank when he was admitted. Months of intensive treatment which included daily calcium supplementation, daily trips outside for sun baths to allow for dermal synthesis of vitamin D, and a strict diet high in calcium and vitamin D, have successfully resolved Gumby’s severe metabolic bone disease.

Upon arrival, Gumby could not feed on his own and had to be tong fed.

Gumby is now very aggressive during feedings.

Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, which has donated multiple diagnostic CT and MRI scans for our sick and injured sea turtles, welcomed Gumby for a CT scan on December 1st. The CT scan allowed us to measure Gumby’s bone density, and we are thrilled to report that it is now within normal range.

Gumby goes for CT scan

3-D CT scan

Although our treatment has strengthened Gumby’s skeletal system, we do have several concerns regarding his overall fitness and potential for release back into the wild. Pathological fractures are always a concern with severe cases of metabolic bone disease, and recent radiographs confirm that Gumby’s femurs (thigh bones) and metacarpals (wrist bones) are bowed. Additionally, Gumby’s pectoral girdle, which consists of the bones that anchor the critically important pectoral swimming muscles, is poorly developed. These abnormalities are likely the result of the poor husbandry and inadequate diet we suspect this little turtle endured before he stranded on a Kiawah beach last June. 

X-ray comparison from admission to November 2011

On a positive note, Gumby has more than doubled in size since last June, and his overall demeanor has improved drastically. He is enjoying a large tank with a sea bass for a tank mate, and we continue our efforts to enrich his life and improve his health. If it’s been a few months since you’ve seen this amazing little loggerhead, come by the Aquarium for a visit! When he’s up to his usual antics, this charismatic little turtle never fails to elicit smiles and laughter.

"Come see me!"

Christi Hughes 
Sea Turtle Biologist

The Sarkowski Triplets Raise Funds for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program!

For the second year in a row, the Sarkowski girls have given our sea turtle patients a commendable gift. In lieu of presents for their birthday, Gracie, McKae, and Aubrey requested donations to help provide food and medical treatment for the turtles recovering in our hospital. To date, these amazing triplets have raised $510!

The girls’ parents, Staci and Chris, have nurtured a love of nature in their three daughters and are truly leading by example. Chris often takes the triplets kayaking through the salt marsh around Sullivan’s Island, where birds and diamondback terrapins are abundant in the early morning hours. McKae, Aubrey, and Gracie also spent part of their summer helping mom, Staci, patrol the beaches of Isle of Palms in search of sea turtle nests. Staci landed a rare volunteer spot on the Isle of Palms turtle team this year, which gave the triplets the rare opportunity to learn how to identify sea turtle tracks and nests and even witness eggshells and hatchlings being excavated from a nest during an inventory.

During their visit to the hospital, the girls were drawn to our charismatic little loggerhead, Gumby. Although Gumby looks strong and healthy now, he is still recovering from severe metabolic bone disease. Aubrey, Gracie, and McKae were only able to appreciate how unhealthy Gumby was when he was first admitted into our hospital when they viewed his radiographs, which clearly show the deterioration of his skeletal system at admittance and the great improvements he’s made since last June.

I am truly thankful that this wonderful family has chosen our sea turtle hospital as the recipient of their donation. These girls give me great hope that our wild animals and the habitats we all depend upon will continue to be valued in the future.


Thank you, Sarkowski family!
Christi Hughes

Gumby showing great improvement!

The 1-3 year old loggerhead that stranded on Kiawah in June has broken the heart of many visitors as she floated listlessly, unable to swim or dive. In addition to having anemia, radiographs revealed a severe case of metabolic bone disease. Little Gumby has been on a rigorous health plan that includes a proper diet, daily calcium injections, and an hour long daily dose of sunlight. The photo below shows an extremely lethargic Gumby as s/he receives an injection just after being admitted.

Sunlight is a significant source of vitamin D because the UV rays trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Calcium can only work with the presence of vitamin D, so both are extremely important to bone health and development for all living creatures.

When we take sea turtles out for sun, it is important to maintain a constant water temperature. Hospital staff and interns in the photo below eat lunch outside on a 95 degree day while they consistently monitor Gumby's water temperature, adding chips of ice to cool down when necessary.

After three months of treatment, Gumby is behaving much more like a normal juvenile loggerhead - swimming around the tank, diving for food, sleeping on the bottom, and even biting at staff when we pull him for treatments and sun.

Follow-up radiographs reveal an increasing bone density. Take a close look at the comparison photo below, the flipper bones in particular.

Although Gumby has a long way to go before he will be able to be released into the wild, s/he is making great progress!

Kelly Thorvalson