Many turn out for DeBordieu's release

It had to be one of our biggest releases yet – the release DeBordieu, a celebrity sea turtle in many ways.

DeBordieu, an adult female loggerhead possibly as old as 50-60 years, was released on the Isle of Palms on Saturday, May 2, 2009 in partnership with the SCDNR. Many turtle hospital tour visitors had met her during the 22 months of her rehabilitation in the Aquarium’s Turtle Hospital. She was quite a sight to behold during this time and even more so on the beach.
I have to say that DeBordieu was without doubt, the most difficult turtle I’ve ever treated. They all have different dispositions and as you may have read in her medical updates, she was stubborn during medical evaluations and therapy and at feeding time was not only picky but extremely messy, pulverizing most of the food she was given. Anytime we would work near her tank, she seemed to splash copious amounts of water out of the tank right where we were working. Coincidence? Perhaps. But that tough girl attitude may be just what it takes to survive in an ocean full of threats to her species. This old gal has survived this long and I believe she has a good long life in front of her in which to help to increase the threatened loggerhead population. We wish her the best.

Thanks to all who were involved in her rescue, her rehabilitation and to all who came to see her off on Saturday. Choreographing this particular release proved to be more challenging than expected. A lot of people have been involved during DeBordieu’s tenure with us and we tried to accommodate all during the release. We hope all who showed up at least got one good look at this majestic sea turtle before her return to the ocean. Be assured that we evaluate each and every release and constantly strive to improve the experience for all involved.

As always, thank you for your support of this program…we couldn’t do it without you!

Kelly Thorvalson

Children of Belton, SC do it again!

I was invited to Belton, South Carolina for an Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2009. Belton is a beautiful little town in the upstate about 3 1/2 hours from Charleston. I had actually travelled to Belton 2 years earlier for a similar trip - the 2 elementary schools in town were studying loggerhead sea turtles and had held fundraisers for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program. These 2 schools were actually the first to ever hold fundraisers for the program and raised over $3,000 that year. Apparently, it was a big hit with the kids and since they kept talking to their teachers about it, they decided to do it again...but this time with an entire Earth Day celebration around it!

Through the 2009 read-a-thon called "Love the Loggerheads," 3rd through 5th grade students at Belton Elementary raised $3,373.00! Marshall Primary, the K-2nd grade school, also raised funds, bringing the total to almost $3,600 for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program! This wonderful donation will help fund medications, food and medical care for the sick and injured sea turtles that are admitted into the Turtle Hospital this season. The big check presented by the top readers at Belton brought tears to my eyes and the younger ones were so sweet when they gave me a huge jug full of rolled coins and bills that they had been collecting all year.

I would like to send a HUGE thanks to all of the kids from Marshall Primary and Belton Elementary for your dedication to learning about the state reptile, the loggerhead sea turtle, and for your hard work in raising much needed funds for the turtle hospital. And although I'm sure many were involved from each school in making this happen, I would especially like to thank Patsy Martin from Marshall and Kate Byrd from Belton, for being such passionate educators and for being great inspirations to the kids you teach. YOU ALL ARE AMAZING!

Keep up the great work and remember - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Kelly Thorvalson

Four sea turtles released to kick off the season!

Waiting for the conditions in the spring to be suitable for an offshore sea turtle release takes patience, good communication and is really quite time consuming. But on Sunday, April 5, everything fell into place for the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program as it celebrated the release of 4 more sea turtles back into the wild, bringing the total number of releases for the program to 36!

The 2 green sea turtles, affectionatley named Carter and Emerald, and 2 loggerhead sea turtles, Godfrey and Lookout, came to the Aquarium's Turtle Hospital after stranding on North Carolina beaches in November 2008 where 60-80 sea turtles stranded as part of a large cold-stunning event. The turtles were released from the boat El Tejano, with help from a full crew of 10 including Aquarium Board members, SCA Sea Turtle Rescue Program staff and media. Aquarium friend and El Tejano owner, John Hill, offered to use his 66' Bertram to aid in the release that took place approximately 60 miles offshore. When 70 degree F water was found, the sea turtles were released one by one. Each healthy sea turtle took to the ocean like they had never left and excitedly swam away into the clear blue gulf stream water.
As coastal waters warm, these sea turtles and many more will move closer and closer to shore for feeding purposes and for the nesting females, to look for safe areas on the beaches to lay their eggs. Incorporating these conservation tips into your daily life will help to keep sea turtles safe in the ocean and on our beaches.

• From May-October, minimize artificial lighting on beachfront homes and avoid using flashlights on the beach.


• Remove recreational equipment from the beach overnight.


• Properly dispose of trash and get involved in beach sweeps.


• When boating, keep watch for sea turtles surfacing to breathe.


• Conatact local authorities if you see a sick or injured sea turtle.

Also, be sure to visit the South Carolina Aquarium and Turtle Hospital. It is a fun and educational experience for everyone and also supports the rescue efforts for these amazing animals whose populations are in danger.

A huge thanks goes out to all involved in the rescue of these sea turtles in North Carolina, to SCDNR for transporting of the animals to our facility, to John Hill for the use of his time, boat and crew, David and Charlie, and to everyone else on board involved with this successful release!
Kelly Thorvalson

First live stranding of 2009

On Saturday, March 28, 2009, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) responded to a call from the Kiawah Island turtle team that a loggerhead had stranded on the beach and was still alive. The SCDNR picked up the 80-pound debilitated loggerhead from the island and transported it to the Aquarium’s Turtle Hospital. The emaciated and mildy dehydrated turtle was covered with a large amount of epibiota on the shell, flippers, and head. This condition is often described as Debilitated Turtle Syndrome (DTS). Initial bloodwork was taken and analyzed. Most pressing was the lack of any blood glucose (severe hypoglycemia). Fluid therapy, antibiotics, and dextrose were administered over a few hours on Saturday afternoon/evening and treatments continued Sunday. Named after the beach on which the turtle was found, “Kiawah” started eating small amounts of fish this week. Radiographs will soon be taken and supportive therapy continues. Hospital staff are keeping a very close eye on this animal.

Thank you to the folks involved in the rescue including Jamie Bell, Joe Pezzullo and Art Zackrison from Kiawah and DuBose Griffin from the SC Department of Natural Resources. Thanks also to our dedicated hospital volunteers and intern Jacquline Gobien. This animal has a good chance for survival because of everyone’s quick actions!

Once again, the Turtle Hospital has reached a number of patients never held at one time before...13! Be sure to come to visit us soon for the rare opportunty to come face to face with these threatened and endangered species. 4 of these sea turtles will be released over the next few weeks in the warm waters offshore so stay tuned to the blog for more updates!

Kelly Thorvalson and Shane Boylan

Patients make astonishing improvements but long way to go before release

Myrtle, a 6-pound Kemp’s ridley, and North Myrtle, a 70-pound loggerhead, were admitted in the fall of 08, both suffering from deadly injuries. It is no longer a question of survival for these two, but whether they can heal enough to be released in to the wild.

The cards were stacked against North Myrtle when
he/she arrived. Seven shell fractures, several of which cross the spine, caused the turtle to be quite fragile to handle and have reduced use of the rear flippers. Top the major trauma with pneumonia, and you will find North Myrtle is one lucky turtle to be alive! 5 months after admission, staff continue to handle the fragile turtle with great care during examinations, physical therapy and injections. The wounds on this loggerhead are healing quite well as seen in the photograph. Much of the exposed bone has died and sloughed off, being replaced by healthy granulation tissue and keratin (the
dark coating over the bone). Over time -a very, very long time- new keratin will harden in areas where bone will never grow back, providing stability in the turtle’s shell once again. This one may be with us for a while!

Myrtle, the tenacious little Kemp’s ridley with the massive scar on his head (Dr. Boylan calls this one Tony Montana) could be the spunkiest turtle in all the hospital. The attached photo shows the healed fracture where once again, exposed bone died and sloughed, leaving healthy keratinized tissue behind. Secondary to the head trauma is the floating problem that we have noted since arrival. As the head trauma healed, hospital staff started planning treatments to correct the buoyancy problem, which has increased over time. Several non-invasive treatments have been tried in efforts to resolve the floating, to no avail.



This video was taken underwater of Myrtle trying to dive for food on the bottom of the tank.

Weight belts are being tested to help Myrtle rest comfortably on the bottom yet still be able to surface with ease. I'll soon be posting a video showing how Myrtle does with the weight belt, so be sure to check back. And of course, you can always visit in person by taking a hospital tour! Details of tours are on the website.

Kelly Thorvalson

Turtle Hospital admits 4 cold-stunned sea turtles from NC

The recent onslaught of cold weather in NC was not only a shock to the people living there but also to the sea turtles just off the coast. Sea turtles are unable to regulate their body temperature so dramatic decreases in water temperature cause the turtles to become immobile and make it impossible for them to migrate to warmer water. Since late last week, over 60 sea turtles have become cold-stunned and stranded on NC beaches. It is a race against time for these animals that will die without help and whose populations are already in trouble. As NC facilities are overwhelmed with the numbers, North Carolina Department of Natural Resources put a call in for help to neighboring states that could possibly take some of the load.

After confirming that the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rescue Program would be able to help, DuBose Griffin, Sea Turtle Coordinator of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, traveled over 8 hours to transport 2 green sea turtles and 2 loggerhead sea turtles to the Turtle Hospital. Although the hospital was essentially full when the initial call for help came in Monday morning, staff knew that some changes could be made, some turtles could be moved and temporary tanks cleaned, to make room for 4 new patients. The hospital is now bustling with 12 patients, the most the South Carolina Aquarium has ever held at once!

The cold-stunned sea turtles were

admitted on Monday evening and aside from warming their core temperatures slowly to match the temperature of the holding pools, Dr. Boylan gave them full physicals, vitamin injections and antibiotics to prevent pneumonia. The animals are all lethargic and are being monitored very closely.

You can see the new patients by going to the hospital page but even better, you can visit all 12 patients by taking a hospital tour! Tour information is on the website. We’d love to see you!

Kelly Thorvalson

Mama Pritchard egg update

The Pritchards Island turtle team observed several false crawls and deteriorating wounds in an adult female loggerhead in late spring of 2008. These wounds would have likely led to the animal’s death if the SCDNR and the Pritchards Island turtle team had not made great efforts in saving this animal. During several months of rehabilitation, Mama Pritchard, named for the location she was found, laid a total of 146 eggs at the South Carolina Aquarium’s turtle hospital. The number of eggs suggests she was carrying a full clutch when she arrived for treatment. Although the first eggs deposited were obviously nonviable and the chances were very slim that any of the eggs would develop, the majority were incubated for 70+ days.

Recently, the eggs were evaluated at the Aquarium by SCDNR sea turtle biologists and it was obvious that none of the eggs were viable. This was likely due to the location, severity and timing of the significant trauma Mama Pritchard endured during her nesting season. The SC Aquarium would like to express its gratitude to the Aquarium volunteers, interns and staff who patiently assisted with egg monitoring, the Pritchards Island turtle team for diligently monitoring the beaches, and the SCDNR sea turtle program for allowing the egg incubation. Although the eggs did not survive the trauma, Mama Pritchard is doing very well in rehabilitation. She will survive to produce more offspring thanks to the efforts of all those involved in South Carolina’s sea turtle program.

Dr. Shane Boylan