SCUTE volunteers donate medical equipment

It all started with a young boy named Timmy Mitten from Virginia. Timmy's family was on vacation in Garden City and one evening, Timmy helped the SCUTE (South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts) nest protection volunteers by keeping a close eye on the rising tide. He wanted to be sure it didn't interfere with the hatchlings making their way out of the nest. A little later, Timmy gave the team $1 to help sea turtles. He could have spent his money on candy or gum, or maybe a video game in the arcade, but all that was on Timmy's mind was helping the turtles. And that he did.

That dollar donation prompted the Garden City turtle team to find out if there were any medical needs in the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital with which they could fund. That dollar turned into about $1,500 that has provided a new gurney (stretcher) and IV poles for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program!

Sue Harbemeyer spearheaded the time-consuming project to find a gurney that would accommodate sea turtles large and small, as they are transported from the basement hospital facility to the 1st floor medical clinic for x-rays and surgeries. The IV poles were ordered by Terry Senior and used during surgery only days after their arrival.

The photo below is of the gurney that we have used for approximately 4 years. Ripped and rusted, it has certainly seen it's better days!

And the new one from the SCUTE team...they sent an extra mattress, too!

The first use of the gurney was to force feed Yawkey (and it was successful).

We would like to extend a huge thanks to Sue and Hans Harbermeyer, Terry Senior, Linda and Dan Williams, Mari Armstrong, Franc Coker and of course, Timmy Mitten, for the much needed contributions to the Sea Turtle Rescue Program!

Sincerely,
Kelly Thorvalson

Couple gets engaged in the Sea Turtle Hospital!

With Beaufort the loggerhead peeking through the tank window, Nick Andrews dropped to one knee, opened a ring box, and asked Justine Francis to marry him. Justine was obviously very surprised and excitedly said "yes!"

Vacationing from Scranton, PA, the couple had planned to spend the afternoon at the South Carolina Aquarium and booked a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital in advance. Nick knew that this would be the perfect setting for his proposal because of Justine's deep love for sea turtles.

To Nick and Justine-
Thank you for sharing this special moment with hospital staff and guests! We wish you a lifetime of health and happiness. Hopefully Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital will always hold a special place in your hearts.

Warmest regards,
Kelly Thorvalson

Sea Turtle Release Friday, August 19

Pack your swimsuits, get the kids from school, and head out to the Isle of Palms to watch 2 loggerheads and 1 Kemp's ridley be released back into the ocean after recuperating from various illnesses at the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. In partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, Beaufort, Capers and Laurel will be released at the Isle of Palms County Park on Friday, August 19th at 4:30 pm. County Park parking fees will apply.

Beaufort
This feisty 100-pound loggerhead was found floating in Battery Creek in Beaufort, SC on May 30, 2011. X-rays revealed intestinal air, possibly caused by an impaction. Beaufort’s treatment included antibiotics, fluids, and s/he received regular tube feeding of mineral oil, as well as weekly enemas. Beaufort finally passed the air trapped in her intestines and the staff is extremely happy that she can go home (so she'll quit trying to bite us when we work on her)!

The photo below is a nice comparison of Beaufort floating with her posterior (rear) end up and her present state of being neutrally buoyant.


Capers
This 94-pound loggerhead was picked up by SCDNR on their loggerhead trawl survey on May 31, 2011. Once on the boat, it was noted that Capers had a strange loss of keratin (protective layer) on the soft tissue and the bloodwork revealed anemia. She was transferred to the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital for medical treatment which included two types of antibiotics, fluid therapy, topical skin treatment and vitamins. With her ailments resolved and her activity level finally that of a healthy, wild loggerhead, Capers is ready to go home.

Laurel
This 7-pound Kemp's ridley was caught by a recreational fisherman on June 21, 2011 in Laurel Bay in Beaufort, SC. The circle hook in her esophagus required surgical removal by making a small incision in her neck and esophagus. This was done with the turtle fully anesthetized and in just over a week, Laurel was able to eat. The wound has now completely healed and Laurel is medically cleared for release.


To see the full medical updates including photos of these turtles, be sure to go to the Sea Turtle Hospital webpage at http://www.scaquarium.org/STR/hospital/default.aspx.

Huge thanks to all involved in the rescue and successful rehabilitation of these sea turtles. We hope you will be able to come out to witness these amazing animals return to their natural habitat!

Kelly Thorvalson

'Ten Toes Up' pays a visit to the sea turtles

Ten Toes Up, a local band that originated in Pawley's Island, SC, recently played for a fantastic event at the South Carolina Aquarium, the Shark, Rattle and Roll. It was there that they found out about Sea Turtle Hospital located in the aquarium's basement and decided to visit later in the week.

Sea Turtle Biologist, Whitney Daniel, and interns Kathryn Sobczyk and Kate Bender, were on hand to introduce the band members and manager to the twelve sick and injured sea turtles in our hospital.

Ten Toes Up: Thanks for playing the Shark, Rattle and Roll, for visiting the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital and for putting great music out there! Y'all rock!

To learn more about Ten Toes Up and listen to some of their tracks, go to http://www.tentoesup.com/.

Kemp's ridley with boat strike wounds caught by fisherman

It was his lucky day. On Saturday morning, the 7-pound endangered Kemp’s ridley took the bait of a fisherman at Battery Park who recognized that the turtle needed medical attention. Although the fisherman was able to remove the hook from the turtle’s mouth fairly easily, boat strike wounds were evident in the shell and skull.

Once admitted into the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital, diagnostic tests were performed. Bloodwork revealed anemia (PCV 14%), low total protein (1.9), and lactic acidosis (almost 15), and a broken right humerus showed up on x-ray. Initial treatments included antibiotic and vitamin injections, fluid therapy and bicarbonate.

The sea turtle affectionately named “Battery” after the location he was caught, has wounds that look familiar to hospital staff. As seen in the comparison photos below, Battery and the loggerhead admitted last week, Yawkey, endured boat strikes in the same areas and both have broken flippers from the strikes. Although we can see similarities in injuries, the age and severity of the wounds are different. Battery's wounds are a bit older and some healing has already occurred. It is safe to say that this turtle will survive. Yawkey's wounds are fresh and have caused a great deal of internal bleeding. Unlike Battery, this animal is not out of the woods just yet.

Be sure to check back to the sea turtle cases on the hospital page for updates on our patients.

Best,
Kelly

Photo blog of July 12th sea turtle release

Three rehabilitated sea turtles were released into the ocean on Kiawah Island last week for a total of 77 released from the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. When the turtles arrived on Tuesday at 11am, they were greeted by a wonderful crowd gathered along the ropes, eagerly awaiting their arrival. Thanks to all for coming out on this very special day on such short notice! For those that couldn't make it, enjoy the photos below.

We are always very excited to meet folks from all over SC and bordering states that drive to Charleston for the sea turtle releases. Last week, we met folks that actually flew into Charleston and found their way out to Kiawah Island for the event. One of our Stranded Sea Turtle Adoptive Parents flew in from Ohio to attend the release. Thank your for your support and please send a photo to the turtle rescue inbox. We would love to post it!

The furthest traveled for the release were a mother and son (pictured below) that flew in from Michigan to watch the beloved sea turtles go back into the ocean ... simply amazing!


"Lisa" was released by SC Department of Natural Resources Sea Turtle Coordinator, DuBose Griffin and NOAA's Jeff Brown. DuBose manages the SCDNR's Marine Turtle Conservation Program and is the primary permit holder for sea turtles in South Carolina. Thanks for all you do for sea turtles in our state, DuBose!

"Grice" was released by 2 of her rescuers, Justin Jay and Jenna Cormany, who work with the SCDNR Marine Turtle Conservation Program. These are two of several DNR staffers that spend many hours on the road transporting sick and injured sea turtles from their stranding area to our hospital for medical care. Thanks for all you do guys!

"Bennett", the very feisty adult Kemp's ridley sea turtle, was released by our two amazing, always smiling interns, Kate Bender and Kathryn Sobcyzk. Thanks for your tireless efforts in the hospital this summer, especially the 12 hour days and the midnight shifts!

It has been a big year for releases so far and we look forward to having at least one or two more before the cold weather comes upon us in the fall. Keep an eye out for the next release - we hope to see you there!

Kelly

Barrington survives brain surgery

Although Barrington is still in the early stages of recovery, watching him navigate around his tank of shallow water gives us hope that the brain surgery he underwent last Thursday was successful. During his first month in our hospital, Barrington’s body quickly recovered from the severe keratin loss on his soft tissues and head. However, his demeanor was poor and he began exhibiting worsening neurological symptoms indicative of brain trauma. Barrington typically floated motionless in his tank, reacted very painfully during treatments, exhibited odd motor skills (his body tensed up completely when he was handled and he wouldn’t use his front flippers to swim), and began twisting his head up and to the left when agitated.

Thanks to Dr. Jason King and his accommodating staff at the Charleston Veterinary Referral Clinic, Barrington received a CT scan and an MRI on July 12th. The CT scan was instrumental in identifying the likely cause of Barrington’s neurological symptoms: a large bone fragment had been shoved downward toward the brain from blunt force trauma to the top of the skull. Although brain surgery had never been performed on a sea turtle at our facility, removing the bone fragment was necessary to save Barrington’s life.

On July 14th our veterinarian, Dr. Shane Boylan, was joined by Dr.’s Nora Schmidt and Cheri Ristau (pictured below) who volunteered their time to assist with Barrington’s experimental surgery. A newly donated Stryker saw, a crucial tool for precision bone cutting, was used to remove a triangular portion of the top of the skull, and the bone fragment was extracted intact. However, we began to worry when Barrington failed to start breathing on his own and his heart rate remained depressed more than twelve hours after surgery. Recovery efforts by STH staff and interns continued until after 3:00 A.M. the next morning.
Today, Barrington has regained some use of his front flippers and is behaving more and more like a normal loggerhead. His muscles no longer remain contracted when we handle him, and he tolerates antibiotic injections well. Although he still twists his head up and to the left on occasion, his neurological symptoms are less severe than they were before the surgery. This resilient loggerhead still has a long way to go before we even begin considering releasing him back into the wild, but we are willing to be patient and let his recovery occur at a turtle’s pace (as it should). Come visit Barrington in our hospital and wish him well as he continues to heal from brain surgery.

Christi Hughes, Sea Turtle Biologist