Three Sea Turtles of Three Species Released by Boat Bringing the South Carolina Aquarium to 99 Sea Turtle Releases!

On October 19, three sea turtles were released by boat just off SC's coast. Charlie and Merigo, a loggerhead and Kemp's ridley, were rehabilitated at the South Carolina Aquarium (SCA) and the third, a juvenile green sea turtle, was rehabilitated at the National Aquarium in Baltimore (NAIB). Releasing three species of sea turtles is very exciting and to make it even more exciting, the NAIB green was fitted with a satellite transmitter to track it's migration.

From Aquarium to Dock

The National Aquarium and South Carolina Aquarium staff met at 5:45am Friday morning to load the sea turtles for release. What an exhilarating way to start the day!

Olympian swims in his/her overnight home in the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital after being transported from the National Aquarium in Baltimore on Thursday.

Charlie makes a last big splash Friday morning before he gets loaded up to head home.

Gumby watches as wet Stephan and Chuck load Charlie into the transport container.

Merigo's transport container is much smaller than Charlie's. A little spray down and s/he was ready to go!

Olympian looks out from his/her transport container.

The turtles get pulled from the husbandry van and carried down the dock to the boat.

The small turtles are much easier to transport!

The Boat Ride
Special thanks to the boat owner John Hill and his crew, David and Charlie, for helping us release the turtles by boat. This was the fourth sea turtle release from the El Tejano in the last few years and we are grateful for the support! We also thank Joe and Jane Sylvan, Elena Terry, and the National Aquarium crew for being part of the release and making it that much more meaningful. Below are a few photos of the boat ride to release the turtles at 4KI, an artificial reef about 10 miles off the coast of Kiawah Island where water temperatures were 75 degrees F.

From left to right: first mate, Charlie Lewis; boat captain, David Redd; friends Elena Terry and Joe and Jane Sylvan; Chuck Erbe and Amber White from NAIB; Kelly Thorvalson from SCA; and owner of the El Tejano, John Hill.

Joe and John on the way out to the reef. Once there, these two helped release Charlie, the 150 pound loggerhead.

A beautiful morning!

John and Kelly chatting, most likely about sea turtles or fishing!

The Release
Merigo is a 9-pound juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, the most endangered of all of the sea turtle species. Merigo was brought to the South Carolina Aquarium with a group of sea turtles found cold stunned off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts and initially treated at the New England Aquarium. Because sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles, they become hypothermic when exposed to extremely cold water temperatures. Merigo is the last of the MA group to be released.

Ready, set...

GO!

Swim, swim away! Good luck, Merigo!

Charlie is a 150-pound loggerhead sea turtle that was captured by the SCDNR In-Water Research Program in June. Charlie was injured by a stingray caught in the same net, the barb puncturing the front left flipper and neck. Because stingrays release venom from their barbs, medical treatment is necessary.

Charlie was anxious to go and was only on the side of the boat for about 5 seconds before being released!

Goodbye and good luck, Charlie!

Olympian is a 9-pound juvenile green sea turtle that was brought to the National Aquarium in Baltimore's Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) after being spotted floating off the New Jersey coast in August. Olympian was treated for over-inflated lungs and possible pneumonia. The National Aquarium team has attached a satellite tag to Olympian and hopes that the tag will lend insight as to where the turtle overwinters, and if/when it returns to the east coast next year. You can keep an eye on Olympian’s journey here.

Amber ready to release little Olympian!

SPLASH!

Good luck little Olympian! 

When you go to Olympian's tracking map, notice that within a day of the release 10 miles offshore, s/he had travelled right to the Charleston Harbor, not far from the South Carolina Aquarium! This is certainly not the best place for sea turtles because of the boat traffic but luckily, s/he made it out and is hugging the coast traveling north. Interesting that despite being released off the coast, his instincts brought him right back inshore!

Want More?
Check out the media articles about this release:

News 4 Charleston video and article
Post and Courier article
Post and Courier video and article

Thanks to all involved in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of these sea turtles. It takes an army to make it happen and each and every step along the way is so important!

Kelly Thorvalson and Whitney Daniel
Sea Turtle Rescue Program staff
South Carolina Aquarium

Third Sea Turtle Admitted To Sea Turtle Rescue Program Within A Week



On Tuesday evening, October 23nd,  naturalists from Kiawah's Night Heron Nature Center were finishing a tour when they noticed something floating near the dock at Mingo Point. As they drew closer, they realized it was a small endangered green sea turtle. The little green was transported by Charlotte Hope from SCDNR to the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. Weighing only 1.9kg (4lbs), "Mini Ming" is the smallest green ever admitted into the Sea Turtle Rescue Program!

Blood gas values weren't too alarming but did show signs of dehydration. We will continue to monitor these levels due to lethargic behavior and state when initially rescued. Treatments included antibiotic and vitamin injections as well as fluid therapy to resolve dehydration. X-rays revealed a full GI tract and bone lysis in the left carpus. After treatments, Mini Ming was transferred to a small shallow water pool over night.

Scratches and moderate barnacle coverage of Mini Ming's carapace.

Taking a good breathe after being prepped for blood draw.

Biologist Whitney drawing blood. Blood gas values give details on Mini Ming's current state and to determine proper treatment.

Staff uses a doppler to get a heart rate.

Normsol fluids were administered using a catheter through the axillary region.

X-ray showing food in the GI tract and bone lysis to the left carpus.

Mini Ming, happy to be back in water after triage.

Mini Ming is now enjoying a larger tank and is resting comfortably at the bottom. We are not sure why the turtle was floating in the waters at Mingo Point but do know that it is what saved his/her life. Come visit Mini Ming and the other patients currently under the South Carolina Aquarium's care by taking one of our behind-the-scenes hospital tours. Huge thanks to the naturalists from Night Heron Nature Center and SCDNR for their help and assistance in the rescue and transport of Mini Ming!

Whitney Daniel 

Sea Turtle Biologist

Two New Patients Admitted into Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital

OLLIE

On Sunday, October 14th, a boater in the Folly River witnessed a small sea turtle being hit by the boat just ahead of him and was, fortunately, able to come to its rescue. Affectionately named Ollie from Folly, the 4.4 kg (~10 pound) endangered green sea turtle was transported by SC Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist, Charlotte Hope, and was quite subdued during transport and admission.

Treatment included pain medication, antibiotic and vitamin injections, fluid therapy, and wound flushing. The turtle was intubated because it was not breathing on its own for several hours. Although the turtle was left in dry dock the first two nights, s/he is now residing in a filtered tank with a low water level.

The boat strike fractured the skull from the nares (nostrils) to the mandible (upper jaw).

In addition to the fresh wounds on the anterior portion of the carapace, there are also several old wounds present on the posterior part of the shell and plastron.

A combination of severe injuries and pain medication slowed Ollie's breathing considerably. The turtle was intubated so staff could breath for him during admission.

Fluids were administered through a catheter in the axillary region of the body.

Ollie was left on a ventilator overnight because he wasn't breathing on his own.

NORTH ISLAND
On Friday, October 19th, a 44kg (~100 pound) loggerhead was captured in the net of a research vessel being operated by the SCDNR SEAMAP program just outside of North Island. The turtle sustained two puncture wounds from the barbs of stingrays that were caught in the same net and suffered severe blood loss as a result. Through the evening, the vessel made its way to Charleston, arriving at approximately 11pm. Needless to say, it was a late night for the rescue team!

Angry sea turtles don't like to stop moving, so it was a battle to get the bleeding stopped. Constant pressure was applied to the wounds (it was primarily the front flipper wound that kept bleeding). Because of blood loss, the turtle suffered from a very low PCV and blood protein; therefore, hetastarch fluids were administered IV. In addition, sodium chloride was administered subcutaneously and antibiotics and vitamins were given.


All attempts were made to keep the turtle quiet and to stop the bleeding from the wound on the ventral side of the front right flipper.



The barb wound to the ventral side of the right front flipper is indicated in this photo.

Wounds were examined and treated, blood taken, and supportive care given to the turtle.

Both turtles are now residing in filtered tanks in the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. You can follow the progress of these patients and all the sea turtles being treated in our Sea Turtle Hospital here. Huge thanks to all involved in the rescue of these injured sea turtles and to Barbara Bergwerf for her neverending photographic support.

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

Eddie Suffers from Intestinal Coccidia Infection

Little Eddie, a green sea turtle rescued from Edisto's waters in late August, is feisty and enjoying a shallow tank of filtered water in our Sea Turtle Hospital. However, he is still fighting a tendency for his rear end to float. The video below was taken last week and shows that Eddie’s buoyancy issue has improved since admittance (see admittance blog with video here) but still remains problematic.

When Eddie was admitted, his inability to dive led us to suspect he had an intestinal impaction that was causing excess gas in his GI tract. We’ve been monitoring the progress of his GI tract for about 7 weeks now via a tube-fed contrast agent (see photo) and a regular series of x-rays. While he has passed most of the gas and has had fairly regular fecals, Eddie’s caudal end is still positively buoyant.


Eddie's mouth is gently held open while he is tube-fed a contrast agent.

Our veterinarian, Dr. Shane Boylan, orients Eddie on the cassette for an x-ray.

Luckily, a recent routine microscopic exam of Eddie’s poop revealed the presence of the coccidian parasite Caryospora cheloniae, which is specific to green sea turtles. This parasite is known to cause severe inflammation of the intestinal tract and may be at least partially responsible for the impaction-like symptoms we are seeing in this turtle. Eddie has now begun receiving an oral medication to treat this infection every other day and, luckily, he swallows his medication hidden in a bit of fish like a champ!

Eddie has tolerated his various treatments well, and we are hopeful he'll make a full recovery.

Eddie is a challenging case, but we are exploring all of our options to treat this turtle and are hopeful he will make a full recovery while overwintering in our hospital. Please wish Eddie well as he struggles to overcome his health issues!

Christi Hughes
Sea Turtle Biologist

Charleston Day School Students Raise over $5,000 with a Read-a-Thon!

With Charleston Day School 3rd grade teachers Kerry Plitnick and Emily Shortridge at the helm, students are learning the importance of sea turtles, healthy oceans, and giving back to the community. Students at Charleston Day have been supporting sick and injured sea turtles since 2009 and for the second year in a row, have held a read-a-thon that raised thousands for the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. This year alone, 28 third graders raised $5,349!


Students present the "big check" to Sea Turtle Rescue Program Staff.





Thanks to these 28 third graders, we are able to provide medical care to more sick and injured sea turtles. Thank you, kids!!!

The Love the Loggerheads Read-a-thon was first developed by Kate Byrd, Librarian of Belton Elementary in South Carolina's upstate and has proven to be extremely successful, not only in raising funds to help sick and injured sea turtles in our hospital but in achieving what schools want from children, for them to read more! If you are interested in hosting a read-a-thon for your class or your child's class, please contact Kelly Thorvalson at turtlerescue@scaquarium.org.

Thank you for your support!

Endangered Kemp's Ridley Admitted with Severe Entanglements

A 4.5 kg juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle was rescued late yesterday afternoon from Bird Key  with fishing line tightly entangled around its limbs and neck. The recreational fisherman that found the turtle could tell it was in trouble and scooped it out of the water with a dip net. After a call to the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) hotline and Folly Beach stranding network, Lisa Scarano of SCDNR transported the turtle to the South Carolina Aquarium.



Monofilament fishing line was tightly entangled around the neck and left flippers.

The most severe entanglement is around the left rear flipper. The lines were so tight that the flipper was extremely swollen and deformed.

"Birdie" was freed from the lines and injuries assessed.

The turtle was measured by Caitlin, one of the fall Sea Turtle Rescue Program Interns.

X-rays were taken. The black arrow points to the area of entanglement on the rear flipper. If you look closely at the unaffected rear flipper, you can clearly see the tibia and fibula. On the rear flipper, the tibia is intact but the fibula has severe osteomylitis.

Despite the severe injuries, "Birdie" is very feisty and consistently tried to bite rescue staff! Antibiotic and vitamin injections were administered and wounds were flushed and treated.

We are so grateful for Jonathan, the fisherman that caught the turtle, to the Judi and Shannon on the stranding network that responded so quickly, and to Lisa from SCDNR for making the transfer. It takes a village.  Everyone can do their part in helping sea turtles like "Birdie" by keeping our waterways free of marine debris!

Kelly Thorvalson



BREAKING NEWS: Sea Turtle Release Today on Kiawah!

The South Carolina Aquarium is releasing three sea turtles today! Join us this afternoon (September 19^th) at 4:30 P.M. at Beachwalker County Park on Kiawah Island. In partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, we will be releasing Dewees, Murray, and Hook. This will bring our total to 97 sea turtles rehabilitated and released from the South Carolina Aquarium! Arriving early and carpoling is strongly encouraged and park parking fees apply.

Dewees: A severely debilitated juvenile loggerhead found floating in Dewees Inlet by Barrier Island Eco Tour guide Courtney, and her husband Jim. At admittance Dewees, was emaciated, dehydrated, lethargic and heavily covered in barnacles.Since being admitted in April, Dewees has gained 15 pounds and has become a visitor favorite on tours.



Comparsion of Dewees since being admitted.

Comparsion of Dewee's carapace.



Hook: A juvenile Kemp's ridley caught in July by a fisherman on hook-and-line at Myrtle Beach State Park. Our veterinarian, Dr. Shane Boylan, was able to remove the hook non-surgically which drastically reduced Hook's stay in the hospital.



Profile view of Hook.

Murray: A juvenile Kemp's Ridley caught by a shore fisherman on Edisto Island last month. Our vet was also able to remove the Murray's hook non-surgically, which resulted in a short stay within our sea turtle hospital.

Profile view of Murray, one of the smallest Kemp's ridleys ever in our care!





We hope to see you all there to help bid farewell to these three amazing sea turtles! Please remember county park parking fees apply and parking is limited.

Whitney Daniel