7 Sea Turtles Being Released Tuesday, June 18!

In partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, the South Carolina Aquarium will be releasing 7 rehabilitated Kemp's ridley sea turtles back into the ocean on Tuesday, June 18 at 10:30 am! The public is invited to join us for this wonderful occasion at Beachwalker County Park on Kiawah Island. Remember to arrive early and carpool because traffic may be heavy and parking is limited. County Park parking fees apply.

Huge thanks to Gary Davis and Michael Taylor, the private pilots that donated flights to transport these animals to our Sea Turtle Hopsital for treatment. And as always, we are forever grateful for everyone that visits the Aquarium and Hospital and to donors and volunteers whose commitment is critical in these animals' recovery.  For more information on these sea turtles and all of the patients in our hospital, visit the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital webpage.

Hope to see you Tuesday!
Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

 

Sea Turtles "Bulls Bay" and "Mini Ming" Get Released!

South Carolina Aquarium sea turtle patients "Bulls Bay" (65-lb loggerhead) and "Mini Ming" (5-lb green) were medically cleared for release on Tuesday, February 12th and the relay to release them began! As timing would have it, our NC turtle colleagues were planning a release for over 30 sea turtles that had been treated for cold-stunning in various facilities. The Coast Guard Cutter Block Island would be heading for the Gulf Stream on Thursday morning and we were excited to get Bulls Bay and Mini Ming on the boat. The turtles were weighed, measured, tagged and transported to the NC border where Barbara Bergwerf and I met Sarah Finn from NC Wildlife Resources Commission for the hand off. 

Sea Turtle Hospital Intern Joni and I move Bulls Bay into a transport container. Bulls Bay was originally caught in the SCDNR In-Water Research Program's turtle trawls and was not healthy. Finding the turtle early in his illness possibly saved his life.

Mini Ming originally stranded in Mingo Creek on Kiawah Island and was rescued by naturalists from the Night Heron Nature Center. At the time of admission, Mini was the smallest green sea turtle ever admitted into the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital!

Mini Ming, snug in his/her transport container, has just been through the first leg of the transport and ready for part two - the drive to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores where she would spend the night before being released. 

Sara Finn and I transfer Bulls Bay inside of his container from the Aquarium's husbandry van to the NC Wildlife Commission truck while photographer Barbara Bergwerf documented the move.

Thirty-nine sea turtles were loaded onto US Coast Guard Cutter Block Island Thursday morning and headed for the Gulf Stream. Unfortunately, engine trouble forced the cutter to turn around before the release took place. The turtles were transported to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and a NOAA facility while a back-up plan was made. Special thanks to the NC Aquarium folks for these photographs!

Fortunately, US Coast Guard Cutter Fort Macon stepped in to save the day! On Friday morning, the sea turtles, including Bulls Bay and Mini Ming, were loaded onto cutter Fort Macon to be transported to the Gulf Stream for release.

Crew from the US Coast Guard Fort Macon, NOAA, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and staff from NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores get one last photo before the turtles take off.

The South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue's patient numbers are still higher than ever in the past. It was perfect timing to be able to release these two healthy sea turtles so quickly to have breathing room in our small hospital. Although there are 23 sea turtles still under rehabilitative care, pre-release analyses are getting started on several of the patients and we hope to have more ready for release in the coming weeks. Since the waters are still cold off the SC coast, turtles will be transported to areas where they reside in the winter. Local beach releases will take place again when warm spring weather warms our coastal waters. Stay tuned!

We are grateful to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, US Coast Guard, NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, NOAA, and all others that helped with this release. And we are always extremely grateful for those involved in the initial rescue and the help we receive to rehabilitate these threatened and endangered species. Each step in this process is critical and takes many working together to make it happen. THANK YOU ALL!

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

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

Videos of Mini Ming and Ollie Enjoying a Healthy Snack!







The South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program wants to start your new year off with a smile! Enjoy the videos of Mini Ming and Ollie, two green sea turtles currently receiving treatment in the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital, enjoying their favorite snack!

 

The Sea Turtle Hospital offers a variety of enrichment to all of its patients. One form of enrichment for green sea turtles is to offer vegetation. Hospital staff and interns have built feeders for the vegetables which allow the sea turtles to feed naturally from the bottom of the tank.

 

 

Mini Ming was found floating in Mingo Creek at Kiawah Island, SC. Notice the barnacles on the carapace (shell). A few larger barnacles on the carapace of sea turtles is normal and does not harm the animal. It is when a sea turtle becomes lethargic in the ocean for extended periods of time due to illness or injury that the barnacle load becomes so great, that secondary infection could result. 

 

 

Ollie was admitted to the Sea Turtle Hospital in October of 2012 with multiple boat strikes, the most severe to the upper jaw. We are thrilled to see how well Ollie is healing - the wound to his jaw has almost completely fused allowing him to eat with ease!

 

Come visit Mini Ming, Ollie, and the 15 other patients on a behind-the-scenes tour of our Sea Turtle Hospital!

 

Happy New Year!

Whitney Daniel

Third Sea Turtle Admitted To Sea Turtle Rescue Program Within A Week



On Tuesday evening, October 23nd,  naturalists from Kiawah's Night Heron Nature Center were finishing a tour when they noticed something floating near the dock at Mingo Point. As they drew closer, they realized it was a small endangered green sea turtle. The little green was transported by Charlotte Hope from SCDNR to the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. Weighing only 1.9kg (4lbs), "Mini Ming" is the smallest green ever admitted into the Sea Turtle Rescue Program!

Blood gas values weren't too alarming but did show signs of dehydration. We will continue to monitor these levels due to lethargic behavior and state when initially rescued. Treatments included antibiotic and vitamin injections as well as fluid therapy to resolve dehydration. X-rays revealed a full GI tract and bone lysis in the left carpus. After treatments, Mini Ming was transferred to a small shallow water pool over night.

Scratches and moderate barnacle coverage of Mini Ming's carapace.

Taking a good breathe after being prepped for blood draw.

Biologist Whitney drawing blood. Blood gas values give details on Mini Ming's current state and to determine proper treatment.

Staff uses a doppler to get a heart rate.

Normsol fluids were administered using a catheter through the axillary region.

X-ray showing food in the GI tract and bone lysis to the left carpus.

Mini Ming, happy to be back in water after triage.

Mini Ming is now enjoying a larger tank and is resting comfortably at the bottom. We are not sure why the turtle was floating in the waters at Mingo Point but do know that it is what saved his/her life. Come visit Mini Ming and the other patients currently under the South Carolina Aquarium's care by taking one of our behind-the-scenes hospital tours. Huge thanks to the naturalists from Night Heron Nature Center and SCDNR for their help and assistance in the rescue and transport of Mini Ming!

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

Sea Turtle Release this Thursday at Kiawah!

The South Carolina Aquarium is excited to announce the release of two sea turtles, Pier and Grover, at 3pm on Thursday, August 16th at Beachwalker County Park on Kiawah Island. County Park parking fees apply and parking will be limited so please carpool and arrive early. This release, in partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, will bring the South Carolina Aquarium to 94 sea turtles successfully rehabilitated and returned to the ocean.

Pier:  This juvenile loggerhead sea turtle suffered a massive shark bite to the carapace (shell) and remarkably, escaped otherwise unscathed. Luckily, fishermen on the Folly Beach fishing pier caught the injured turtle on hook and line and notified proper authorities so the turtle could be transported to the Sea Turtle Hospital and returned to optimal health.


Pier's first swim in the Sea Turtle Hospital.

Close up of Pier's wound during admission.

A remarkable amount of healing has taken place in only 2 months!

Grover:  Rescued in March of this year from the chilly waters of Cherry Grove, the juvenile green sea turtle was the first live local stranding of the season. The 60 degree waters caused the turtle to become hypothermic but after 5 months in rehabilitation, is incredibly strong and feisty!

Grover's behavior and physical condition improved greatly after 4 months of rehabilitation.

The colors of Grover's plastron, carapace and skin has improved dramatically!

These turtles have made a lasting impression on those that have visited them in the hospital on tours and that have worked with them. They both epitomize the resilience of sea turtles and their feisty nature reminds us why these animals have been around for millions of years. Good luck Pier and Grover!

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

PS - Remember to arrive extra early to get a parking place and a good viewing spot on the ropes!

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

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

Photo blog of July 12th sea turtle release

Three rehabilitated sea turtles were released into the ocean on Kiawah Island last week for a total of 77 released from the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. When the turtles arrived on Tuesday at 11am, they were greeted by a wonderful crowd gathered along the ropes, eagerly awaiting their arrival. Thanks to all for coming out on this very special day on such short notice! For those that couldn't make it, enjoy the photos below.

We are always very excited to meet folks from all over SC and bordering states that drive to Charleston for the sea turtle releases. Last week, we met folks that actually flew into Charleston and found their way out to Kiawah Island for the event. One of our Stranded Sea Turtle Adoptive Parents flew in from Ohio to attend the release. Thank your for your support and please send a photo to the turtle rescue inbox. We would love to post it!

The furthest traveled for the release were a mother and son (pictured below) that flew in from Michigan to watch the beloved sea turtles go back into the ocean ... simply amazing!


"Lisa" was released by SC Department of Natural Resources Sea Turtle Coordinator, DuBose Griffin and NOAA's Jeff Brown. DuBose manages the SCDNR's Marine Turtle Conservation Program and is the primary permit holder for sea turtles in South Carolina. Thanks for all you do for sea turtles in our state, DuBose!

"Grice" was released by 2 of her rescuers, Justin Jay and Jenna Cormany, who work with the SCDNR Marine Turtle Conservation Program. These are two of several DNR staffers that spend many hours on the road transporting sick and injured sea turtles from their stranding area to our hospital for medical care. Thanks for all you do guys!

"Bennett", the very feisty adult Kemp's ridley sea turtle, was released by our two amazing, always smiling interns, Kate Bender and Kathryn Sobcyzk. Thanks for your tireless efforts in the hospital this summer, especially the 12 hour days and the midnight shifts!

It has been a big year for releases so far and we look forward to having at least one or two more before the cold weather comes upon us in the fall. Keep an eye out for the next release - we hope to see you there!

Kelly