A new Kemp's ridley patient - St. Catherine

A 26-pound Kemp's ridley sea turtle was transported to the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital by the SC Department of Natural Resources at 7am on Saturday morning. The turtle was captured on Friday by a DNR research vessel sampling near St. Catherine's Island, GA. A southern stingray barb punctured the skin and was broken and deeply embedded in the neck/shoulder region.

Above: The turtle presented with a puncture wound between the neck and shoulder.

Above: Sea Turtle Biologist, Christi Hughes, and intern, Megan Walsh, weighed and measured the turtle upon arrival.

Above: The neck and shoulder were very swollen due to the venomous nature of the stingray barb.

 

Above: Radiographs were taken to determine the exact location of the barb.

Above: With the turtle anesthetized, Dr. Shane Boylan assisted by several members of the Sea Turtle Rescue Team, surgically removed the barb.

Above: Once the barb was removed, the wound was stitched and the turtle was recovered from anesthesia.

St. Catherine recieved an injection of dexamethasone, a steroid primarily used as an anti-inflammatory, as well as fluid therapy on Saturday and Sunday. "She" is also on 2 antibiotics and pain medication. Because of her lethargic state after surgery, she was left in dry dock (out of water) until Monday morning. Hospital staff were pleased when the tank was filled with water and St. Catherine swam very well, without favoring the right flipper at all.

Thanks to the SCDNR SEAMAP crew for taking great care of the turtle until they could reach Charleston, to SCDNR Marine Turtle Conservation Program crew for responding and coordinating the rescue, and to our Sea Turtle Rescue Team that spends countless hours, day and night, holidays and weekends, providing top quality medical care to these animals. Go team!

Kelly

Dawsey's flipper much improved

Dawsey is feeling better and making quite a splash with those that meet her! This is quite a change from the lethargic state in which she was found on September 6th. At the time, the infected flipper wounds were decaying, there was exposed bone and she was likely suffering from septecemia. Once admitted into the Sea Turtle Hopspital, Dawsey was often placed on the gurney (pictured below) or on a large tire for treatment so we could effectively treat wound on the ventral side of the flipper.

In the 45 days that she been recieving medical treatment, the wounds are healing beautifully. Below are dated photographs that allow you to see the changes in this dorsal flipper wound.
Below is a photo of the ventral wound, just to give you an idea of what we are dealing with. There is a deep pocket under the skin that is not visible here.

We are thrilled with the speed at which Dawsey is healing. She is off all medications and is recieving a healthy diet to include live blue crabs. She still has very limited use of the injured flipper so physical therapy has been initiated. Range of motion in the flipper has increased as a result of this therapy and it will continue until we see normal flipper movement.

We'll keep you posted on her progress!
Kelly

160-pound sea turtle rescued by local fisherman

September 22nd started as just another day at work for charter fisherman, Chad Ferris. While fishing in the Santee Pass behind Caper's Island, Chad pointed out a loggerhead sea turtle at the surface of the water to his customer from Atlanta. Sea turtles surfacing to breath or bask are a familiar sight for anyone who spends lots of time on the water in the Lowcountry. That's why after watching the large loggerhead trying to dive for 30 minutes with no success, Chad knew she needed help. The two men mustered the strength and agility to lift the 160-pound turtle from the water into the boat (without falling in!) and headed for the Isle of Palms Marina to meet the SC Department of Natural Resources staff and volunteers.

Once the turtle was admitted into the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital, she was given supportive care to include fluid therapy, antibiotic and vitamin injections and diagnostics tests such as a blood analysis, ultrasound and radiographs (x-rays). Thousands of hatching marine leech eggs and some adult leeches were removed from the turtle's skin.

Radiographs revealed an intestinal impaction (pictured below) and gas trapped on the right side of the intestinal tract, which is causing Santee to float at a severe angle. She is being held in very shallow water to keep her floating on a level plane and is receiving regular tubing of mineral oil and lactulose for aid in moving the impaction.

Keep track of Santee's progress on the main hospital webpage and be sure to schedule a visit with her and all the other patients at the South Carolina Aquarium!

Huge thanks to Chad Ferris for recognizing this turtle needed help and responding. It is so important to recognize the part that our community plays in rescuing these threatened and endangered species. You are our eyes out there!

As always, we thank the SC Department of Natural Resources staff and volunteers for respondering to strandings and to the South Carolina Aquarium volunteers and that make this all possible.

Kelly

190-pound loggerhead admitted into South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital

We had just returned from 6 hours of nest inventory work on Cape Island Monday when an unusual stranding call came in. Good friends enjoying the Labor Day holiday were boating around Capers Inlet and had come across a large loggerhead sea turtle with an injured flipper stranded on the sandbar at low tide. After a short discussion, we all realized that time was of the essence if we wanted to rescue the wounded loggerhead because the tide was turning. The Smiths, no strangers to sea turtles, said they would stay with the turtle until help arrived.

The Smith Family with the injured 190-pound loggerhead.

Sarah Dawsey has led the USFWS Cape Romain Sea Turtle Project for many years and not only was she working on Labor Day but it was her birthday as well. Sarah, Jerry Tupacz, Arturo Herrera from SCDNR and I put the boat back in the water in response to the stranding call. By the time we made it over to Capers Inlet, the sandbars were diminishing under the rising tide and the turtle (all 190 pounds of her) had swam off. The Smith’s were doing their best to keep an eye on her and when we arrived, were able to point us in the direction of the turtle in last tide pool just before the ocean. It would only have been minutes before the turtle made her way over the last bit of sandbar to freedom, and most likely, death.

Sarah Dawsey, Arturo Herrera, Mark Smith and Jerry Tupacz getting turtle to boat.

After the boat rescue, the turtle was loaded into the SCDNR truck and transported to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital where treatment began. She had two large open wounds on the front left flipper that were terribly infected and was suffering from septicemia. The turtle hardly used the hurt limb. Treatment included 2 antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids, pain medications and wound treatment. Blood was taken for analysis and the loggerhead was left in a shallow pool of water for the night.

Huge thanks goes out to Mark, Shannon, Audrey and Johnny Otis Smith for their willingness to stay with the injured sea turtle for 2 hours until its rescue. Also to Sarah Dawsey and Jerry Tupacz of USFWS for extending their work day (especially on Sarah’s birthday) and reacting so quickly to launch the boat. Lastly, huge thanks to Arturo Herrera from SCDNR for staying for 2 additional hours to help maneuver this huge animal around the Sea Turtle Hospital – I couldn’t have done it without him!

In celebration of Sarah’s many achievements in sea turtle conservation, her unwavering determination to save yet another turtle and simply as a birthday gift, the turtle has been affectionately named Dawsey. You will be able to find future updates for Dawsey on the main hospital webpage.
Kelly

Small green sea turtle admitted to the Sea Turtle Hospital

The 6.5 pound green sea turtle with a propeller strike across the shell was picked up by the SCDNR Monday afternoon at Ripley Light Marina in Charleston and luckily, didn't have far to travel for medical attention. The injured turtle had been spotted over the weekend in the waters around the Ashley River but had just been able to be captured.
With preliminary bloodwork completed, hospital staff were elated to get a PCV of 26, an indicator that the turtle had not lost a lot of blood. The wound was flushed with copious amounts of saline and with every syringe, the turtle flinched with pain. In addition to subcutaneous fluids and an antibiotic injection, Ripley received pain medications to make "him" more comfortable. Finally, the wound was packed with silver-sulfadiazine, an ointment with antibacterial and antifungal agents, and placed in a small tub with wet foam overnight.

This wound is deep and it is difficult to see if lung tissue has been compromised. The prognosis is still guarded but we are hopeful for a full recovery.

Thanks to the folks at Ripley Light Marina for their assistance in rescuing this animal and to Arturo from SCDNR for transporting it to the Aquarium. Future updates will be posted on the main hospital webpage.

Kelly

Folly Beach sea turtle release

Saturday was a perfect day for a sea turtle release! South Carolina Aquarium staff and volunteers started setting up on Folly Beach around 2:30 pm and spectators gathered soon after, attempting to beat the crowds for a parking place and a good spot on the ropes. The release took place at 4 pm and hundreds were there to take it all in.

Below: Intern Kristen Jay from Folly Beach gives spectators a closer view before letting Surfer crawl to the water on "his" own. Once on the sand, the endangered Kemp's ridley didn't stop until he hit the water!

Below: Dr. Boylan and I give Santos a lift down the beach and much to the amusement of the onlookers, the loggerhead proceeded to turn around a couple of times. It only took a little encouragement for Santos to make his way to the water for a memorable release.

Thanks to all that are involved in making this happen - there are too many to name but you know who you are!

Kelly

North Myrtle gets released after 2 years of treatment

The 100-pound loggerhead sea turtle, North Myrtle, was released Tuesday, August 24 after being treated for just under 2 years by the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. North Myrtle was admitted with 7 fractures in the carapace (top shell) on September 3, 2008. North Myrtle was also suffering from pneumonia upon arrival at the Sea Turtle Hospital and was in critical condition for over a month. Below is a photo of North Myrtle a week after being admitted.

About four months after arriving at the Sea Turtle Hospital, the dead bone had finally all come out and healthy granulation tissue replaced open wounds. Keratin (the brown layer over the bone) also started its slow growth which would eventually provide stability and a protective barrier to the fractures.

It took almost 2 years for the carapace to stabilize enough for the turtle to be released but that day finally arrived on August 24th. North Myrtle was released from the Aquarium's Scout boat a few miles off the coast of Folly Beach.

North Myrtle was not only a difficult medical case to treat but "she" was a difficult turtle to take care of - period. She was picky about the types of fish she ate, messy when she decided to eat, and consistently splashed her caregivers and anyone else that came close to her tank. Not only that, but staff and volunteers were ALWAYS having to squeegee water from around her tank to keep the area safe to walk. For all of these reasons and simply because she defied death, North Myrtle has left a lasting impression on any and all that met her. We wish her the best in that big (and dangerous) ocean out there.

Thank you to all that have been a part of making this animal's release a reality!
Kelly