Ongoing treatment for "Myrtle" the Kemp's ridley

Over the last few months, "Myrtle" has lost her spunky attitude and appetite. The floating disorder has changed slightly in that she is more buoyant on her left side than her right. To quantify the changes in her lungs, "Myrtle" was taken back to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to have an MRI. The imaging research team at MUSC are an amazing group of folks and we cannot thank them enough for working with us on ailing "Myrtle," on a Friday evening after hours no less!

A new therapy that has been initiated is diving with "Myrtle" in a 14' exhibit tank with a weight belt. Weight therapy has been used in hospital holding tanks but the tanks are fairly shallow. Staff wanted to see what "Myrtle" would do in deeper water with the extra weight. A video of the first day of this therapy is below. Although not actively swimming, it is nice to see the turtle lingering under water for a longer period of time. This therapy will occur ~2 times per week thanks to Sallie Miller and her Carolina Seas dive assistants. Hopefully something positive will come from it!

Good luck "Myrtle"!!

Kelly

Critically injured patients show improvement!

Both Myrtle, the Kemp’s ridley with the severe head fracture and North Myrtle, the loggerhead with a crushed shell and pneumonia, have survived very traumatic injuries and are currently showing signs of improvement. The final prognosis for both sea turtles is still questionable but turtle hospital staff and volunteers are rejoicing at positive progress!

Myrtle started showing interest in food in late September and now has an appetite that rivals even the healthiest of patients in the hospital. The small, 5-pound sea turtle has been floating at the surface of the water since he was first introduced into a tank. The video clip was taken just after he started eating and was put in a larger filtered system and shows that he is actually able to dive if it means getting tasty fish morsels!

North Myrtle has been receiving antibiotic nebulization for over a month to treat pneumonia and although the turtle has shown signs of increased activity, she has shown no interest in food the entire time – until this week that is. On October 6, North Myrtle ate a live blue crab which is the first time food was willingly eaten. Blue crabs are a natural dietary item for loggerheads in the wild and we keep a steady supply of them for the loggerheads in rehabilitative care. The video clip shows North Myrtle eating the crab. As her appetite and energy level increase, so will the speed at which she attacks the crab. We are thrilled that 6-year old Ethan Harrison visited from Ontario that same day to donate $1000 of hard earned money to support the sick and injured sea turtles. Perhaps Ethan was a good luck charm for our injured North Myrtle. Thank you, Ethan, for your hard work in raising funds to support this program and your passion for sea turtle conservation!


Stay tuned in to the hospital page for updates on Myrtle, North Myrtle and the other 6 sea turtle patients in the South Carolina Aquarium’s Turtle Hospital!

Kelly

New patients admitted into Turtle Hospital

I am constantly amazed at the resilience of sea turtles. The last two patients to be admitted into the Turtle Hospital have such extensive injuries that I have to wonder how they survive. The short answer may be that they are reptiles. A mammal would very rarely survive these injuries. But even with resilience on their side, these young sea turtles will require a great deal of time, care and medication if they are going to have a chance of surviving.

Myrtle, a small Kemp’s ridley with a major skull fracture (most likely caused by a boat propeller) arrived from Myrtle Beach on August 26. Within an hour of the turtle’s arrival, Dr. Shane Boylan, South Carolina Aquarium Veterinarian, wired the upper jaw back together with the turtle fully anesthetized. Remarkably, the turtle made it through surgery and is still alive today. Treatment is ongoing for this little guy and we can only hope that a head injury such as this one can heal without complications. Only time will tell.

North Myrtle, a juvenile loggerhead that arrived only a week after Myrtle, is suffering from a crushed carapace and pneumonia. The carapace has 6 major fractures and many bone fragments that will eventually die off. Pneumonia in sea turtles, especially in later stages, is very difficult to treat. Hours are spent each day with this animal doing wound treatment and antibiotic nebulization. We hope that this intense medical care will rein in the end.

Be sure to check the Turtle Hospital webpage for regular updates on these new patients and all of the turtles in rehabilitation. And in case you didn't know it, sick and injured sea turtles love having visitors, so come see them for yourself by taking a hospital tour!

Kelly Thorvalson