Santee and Eugenia will be released this Friday!

In partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and Charleston County Parks and Recreation, Santee, the 160-pound loggerhead that was rescued in September 2010 will be released this Friday, June 17th at 4pm at the Isle of Palms County Park.

Santee was rescued by Captain Chad Ferris of Tall Tails Charters. Check out the awesome rescue story with photographs at http://seaturtlehospital.blogspot.com/2010/09/.

Santee's primary medical issue was a gastrointestinal tract impaction but as a result of this impaction, she was suffering from severe edema, low blood protein and was positively buoyant (floating). After 1 1/2 months of treatment, Santee was finally able to pass the impaction and start the healing process. After a little over 8 months of treatment, she is ready to return to the ocean.

Comparison photos of Santee:

Eugenia, the juvenile green sea turtle rescued on Kiawah Island April 28th, 2011, will also be released on Friday. Upon admission, this turtle was very lethargic and in overall poor condition.

Read about Eugenia's admission and how she got her name at
http://seaturtlehospital.blogspot.com/2011/05/sea-turtle-rescue-program-is-off-to.html.

We are thrilled that Eugenia has made a quick recovery in just under 2 months - she was just medically cleared for release today. Just look at the difference that two months of medical treatment and the best animal care can do!!

Bloodwork is pending on the small Kemp's ridley, Taylor, that was caught by a fisherman on the Edwin S. Taylor pier on Folly Beach April 18th. If the bloodwork passes, Taylor will be included in this release, as well!

The public is invited to join us to send these beautiful, healthy sea turtles back into the ocean. Just remember: come early because parking is limited and traffic will be heavy, and County Park parking fees apply.

Hope to see you there!

- Kelly Thorvalson

Because sea turtles can't surf the internet, continued...

We give several types of food enrichment and the one featured here is the fish pop. Fish pops are our take on a popsicle! Only the turtles don’t get a choice between grape and cherry. They get a choice between mackerel, smelt, capelin, or herring! We take a portion of their fish diet and freeze it into an extra large popsicle. It is a riot to watch the turtles nose the floating fish pop around the tank trying to get their mouths around it. The fish pop melts over time giving the turtles a tasty reward for their efforts. This type of enrichment breaks up the normal feeding routine while providing their daily allotment of food.

Enjoy the video of Santee with her fish pop!




Be sure to check in tomorrow to learn about two additional types of food enrichment!

Megan and Kelly

Santee finally rests on the bottom of her tank!

Two months after Santee was admitted by the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Rescue Program, she is finally resting comfortably on the bottom of her tank! This is a great relief to staff and volunteers after many trips to get the huge loggerhead to the medical lab for a total of 45 radiographs, after tube feeding mineral oil and spirulina on 12 occasions, and only being able to keep her in 2 feet of water because of the severe angle at which she floated. Most of all, we are relieved that we don't have to do surgery to remove the stubborn impaction that plagued Santee for so long.

The impaction caused a gas build-up in Santee's intestinal tract which made her float at a severe angle for two months.

The impaction was caused by several extremely large pieces of horseshoe crab shell bound together with fecal material. Once the impaction moved out of the turtle, we knew it was just a matter of time before the intestinal gas moved through as well. And that happened yesterday!

Santee finally resting comfortably on the bottom of her tank.

Santee is finally on a normal feeding schedule including live hard-shelled prey. She not only chases after live crabs but also after the nets and tubes we use to clean her tank. She is obviously feeling better!

Huge thanks to all who have helped with this turtle and especially Captain Chad Ferris who rescued her. Come visit Santee and the other nine sea turtles that are rehabilitating at the South Carolina Aquarium...it's the hottest tour in town!

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