The South Carolina Aquarium admitted 2 new patients on February 11th that were part of the most recent cold stunning event off the NC coast. The two loggerheads named "Beasley," after the Karen Beasley Rescue and Rehabilitation Center that took in the turtles when they first stranded, and "Ocracoke," the NC island where the turtles were found, had internal body temperatures of 51 degrees Fahrenheit when they stranded. These animals are lucky to survive the severe 3-day cold-stunning event that killed ~75% of the 109 sea turtles involved. Kelly Sloan of SCDNR transported the animals from NC to the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital where they will receive treatment until medically cleared for release.
Click on photographs to enlarge.
Sea Turtle Hospital staff set up a new holding pool with life support to help out with the large numbers of strandings and several temporary tanks are being used to increase holding capacity. As always, we will do all we can to help in these terrible events.
Find out more about "Beasely" and "Ocracoke" on the Sea Turtle Hospital webpage or come visit them in person by taking a Sea Turtle Hospital behind-the-scenes tour - we'd love to see you!
Kelly
With Erin Ruth at the helm, 21 kids from Cheraw Intermediate raised $2,000 for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program! Each student was able to become a stranded turtle adoptive parent as well as get a tour of the Aquarium and Hospital. The class visited on February 2nd to deliver the check (photo below) and meet the sea turtle patients they adopted. Awesome job Cheraw students!
We are so very appreciative of the hard work that goes into raising funds for the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. These teachers are not only teaching their students about the importance of sea turtle and ocean conservation, but are also instilling a spirit of giving and supporting local, non-profit organizations. Thank you classes at Gilbert Middle and Cheraw Intermediate, for helping us continue to provide the best possible care to the sick and injured sea turtles that come to our hospital. You are making a difference!
Learn more about the 3 newest patients, Cluse, Dare and Frisco, by going to the hospital page and clicking on each individual case. These will be periodically updated. There is also a great article from the Post and Courier at 
Birds need to eat frequently and Santi looked thin, so it was vitally important to get some nutrition in the animal. After retrieving the uneaten fish from the back of the mouth, Santi was tube fed a healthy gruel. On subsequent days, hospital staff has found that fish cut up into very small pieces will pass down the esophagus. Although it takes about 30 minutes for just a handful of fish to be swallowed, this is much less stressful on the bird than tube feeding several times a day. The video shows Santi being fed and trying to get the fish down by consistently opening his/her beak and moving the head up and down. 
History: The turtles being transferred were part of a cold stunning event on the coast of New England in November of 2008. Sea turtles are cold blooded and are unable to regulate their body temperatures. When coastal water temperatures drop quickly, sea turtles in the area become stunned and are unable to migrate to warmer waters.
This was an amazing event and really showcases the joint efforts of organizations working together to support sea turtle conservation. I would like to send a sincere thank you to Mr. Ron Santos and the East Cooper Pilot's Association, the University of New England Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center and the SC Department of Natural Resources for their leadership in sea turtle conservation in SC. 
