July 31, 2013 Sea Turtle Release Photo Blog!



Sutton:  Juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle; one of 18 cold stunned sea turtles admitted by the South Carolina Aquarium in the winter of 2012/13. To learn more about Sutton's admission and rehab, go to his/her hospital page.

 

Sutton is pulled from his/her tank with loggerhead, Pluff watching in the background!

2013 Sea Turtle Hospital Summer Intern, Megan Kelley, gives Sutton a lift to the water with a big smile on her face. Martha holds the sign to let everyone know the turtle's name. 

A little turtle in front of a big crowd...but there was no stage fright! Sutton wasted no time scurrying into deeper water!

Headed home!

Raker: Juvenile green sea turtle; the first live stranding of the 2013 SC stranding season. To learn more about Sutton's admission and rehab, go to his/her hospital page.

Raker just before being lifted from his/her tank to head to the beach.

2013 Sea Turtle Hospital Summer Intern, Carissa Brown, shows Raker to onlookers as she makes her way down the beach. Our young sign holder, Anne, helped everyone see who was being released. 

A beautiful close-up of Raker.

Slow and steady, Raker made his way into the ocean.

Megan and Carissa have each worked 40-50 hours per week in the Sea Turtle Hospital this summer and are captured relishing in the excitement of helping to rehabilitate and release these endangered species.

 

Splinter: Juvenile loggerhead sea turtle caught on board a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources research vessel; found with a large foreign object embedded in a rear flipper. To learn more about Splinter's admission and rehab, go to his/her hospital page.

Sign holders, Susanna and Lily watch as Splinter is pulled out of the transport container.

Mike Arendt (right), Principal Investigator of SCDNR In-Water Research Program and Lexi Mechem (left), past Sea Turtle Hospital intern, release Splinter, a beautiful loggerhead that was rescued by the In-Water Research Group this year.

Splinter was placed on the beach for a few moments and quickly turned around. Our young sign holder, Campbell enjoyed her time with this funny turtle!

Splinter on the beach with his/her releasers, a few representatives from the media, and the backdrop of a huge crowd of spectators.

A regal photo of this loggerhead.

And away he/she goes!

Thank you to all who make the rescue, rehabilitation and release of these sea turtles possible including the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, donors, volunteers, interns, and even media that helps to spread the good word about our work. As you can see, the sea turtles releases draw huge crowds and as much as we try to create an organized, wonderful event for all to enjoy, large, excited crowds can sometimes get a little rowdy. Just please always remember to be kind to the people around you and let children up front so they can see, and hopefully everyone will have the experience of a lifetime!
All the best,
Kelly Thorvalson

Three Sea Turtles Being Released July 31st!

Three sea turtles have fully recovered from various illnesses and have been medically cleared at the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. In partnership with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, Splinter, Raker and Sutton will be released on Wednesday, July 31st at 10am at the Isle of Palms County Park. The public is invited to attend. The releases are extremely well attended so it is important to arrive early (the County Park will open at 8:30 am for this event), carpool, and plan to pay for parking.

Splinter
Splinter was caught on board the SCDNR research vessel, the Lady Lisa off of Dewees Inlet with what appeared to be a wooden splinter through the right rear flipper. The splinter caused severe inflammation to the flipper, especially around the knee. Antibiotics and pain medications were administered. Surgery to remove the foreign body was performed soon after and revealed the splinter was the tip of a swordfish bill. We'll never know how the interaction occurred but are thrilled that Splinter made such a quick recovery!

Raker
This 8-pound green sea turtle was found on Myrtle Beach by the beach rakers that clean the beaches each morning. The went to great lengths to keep the sick turtle protected until help could arrive.  Raker's core body temperature upon arrival at the Aquarium was only 58 degrees Fahrenheit so s/he was kept in our temperature-controlled surgery suite to prevent her from warming up too quickly. He had a heart rate of only12 bpm and poor blood work. In addition, this turtle sustained has a shell infection and severe corneal abrasions on the eyes. Raker was in critical condition for several days.

 

 

Sutton

Sutton is one of eighteen cold stunned sea turtles transferred to the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital this past winter. Sutton originally cold-stunned around Cape Cod, MA and was initially treated by NEAq’s Marine Animal Rescue Team. In addition to hypothermia causing lethargy, dehydration and reduced heart rate, Sutton has many lesions on his/her body , the worst being around the nose. The lesions have healed, blood work improved, and our feisty Sutton is ready to go back into the ocean!

 



We would like to send a huge thank you to everyone involved in the successful rehabilitation of these animals including rescuers, transporters, partner organizations, donors, volunteers, and staff - we could not do it without you!

 

All the best,

Kelly Thorvalson

First Live SC Strandings of 2013 Admitted to the South Carolina Aquarium

Raker

Admitted on Monday, April 22, this little green sea turtle was covered in barnacles, algae and a thick layer of sand from getting pounded in the surf. The beach workers/rakers on Myrtle Beach that found the endangered turtle were very concerned and went to great lengths to shield "Raker" from the cold winds while they waited for help to arrive. Linda Mataya from the North Myrtle Beach turtle team transported the sick turtle to McClellanville where she was met by SCDNR's Lisa Scarano, who drove him/her the rest of the way to the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital.

The 3.4 kg juvenile green sea turtle hardly moved during admission.

Raker's internal body temperature at the time of admission was 58.1 degrees F which doesn't bode well for a cold-blooded reptile. Due to the animal's poor health, the heart rate was only about 12 beats per minute. In addition to the heavy bioload on the carapace, the turtle sustained severe corneal abrasions on the left eye and it was evident that a secondary infection was present on his/her carapace (shell) between the keratin and bone.

Profile of Raker: you can see soft tissue lesions, the injured eye and algae growth.

I weighed and measured the turtle while Lisa recorded the data.

After measurements and preliminary blood work were taken, Birds and Exotics Vet Dr. Jose Biascoechea guided treatment for the new patient. Raker's core body temperature was consistently monitored and raised at a slow pace of 0.5-1 degree per hour.

Dr. Biascoechea administering subcutaneous fluids.

Dr. Biascoechea and I go over the treatment plan for Raker. Good luck little one!

Raker was really touch and go for three days. The heart rate fluctuated greatly and s/he wasn't taking breaths as often as s/he should, so the blood CO2 levels increased. Oxygen was added to the long list of supportive care and the turtle finally started to show some improvement on Thursday (3 days after admission). For more details and updates on Raker's status, go his/her hospital page.

Crosby
Captain Gresh Megget of Absolute Reel Screamer Charters came across a juvenile green sea turtle in Folly River by Crosby's Seafood on Saturday, April 28. Captain Gresh describes the turtle as covered in barnacles and algae, floating, and swimming in circles. The captain and guests recognized that the turtle was in distress and brought the animal to the Folly Beach boat landing where SCDNR's Jenna Cormany met them for the transfer.

Crosby's rescuer, Captain Gresh at the dock after the rescue.

In addition to being very lethargic with poor blood work and dehydration, the 4kg juvenile green has several external wounds on the carapace and plastron.

The turtle arrived at the South Carolina Aquarium just as the 6th Annual Environmental Stewardship Gala was about to begin. Reminiscent of the Gala 3 years ago, I was able to help admit the turtle just before heading out to enjoy the amazing event on the Aquarium's front lawn.

 

LEFT: Loggerhead admission on evening of 2010 Environmental Stewardship Awards Gala; RIGHT: Green admission on evening of 2013 Environmental Stewardship Awards Gala.

SCDNR stranding volunteer/Sea Turtle Hospital volunteer Barb Gobien, applies triple antibiotic ointment to the plastron wounds.



Whitney and Barb take Crosby's heart rate.

Dr. Shane Boylan does a full physical examination, including inspecting the mouth. Supportive care included fluids, antibiotics, vitamins and wound care.

Crosby is in fair condition after several days of treatment. Be sure to check out the medical page to keep up with his/her progress!

 

Huge thanks to the rescuers and all involved in the transporting and care of these sick sea turtles. Each step is critical in their survival. As the weather warms and sea turtles move into our coastal waters, it is important to be on the lookout for sea turtles in distress. To notify someone of a sick, injured or dead sea turtle, call the SCDNR stranded sea turtle hotline at 1-800-922-5431. And while you are out on the beaches this summer, be sure to pick up any litter you find and keep the beach as safe as possible for our nesting females and hatchlings!

 

Best wishes,

Kelly Thorvalson

Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager