The Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital Blog Has Moved!

The South Carolina Aquarium has a beautiful new website including a new blog! The new blog will have plenty of sea turtle updates and medical cases but will also have information on upcoming events and programs at the Aquarium. Be sure to check it out! When are on the homepage, click on the blog link to see all of the most recent posts. To refine your search to sea turtles, just click on Sea Turtle Rescue Program.

Thanks for being such dedicated readers of the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital blog!

An Update on "Huntington"



I was surprised to learn about the health problem of my favorite patient when I first started my internship with the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. She is a large loggerhead named Huntington and is recovering from an intestinal impaction caused by a dense mass of scallop shells, a natural prey item for loggerheads.



For those of you that remember when Huntington was admitted in May, she was positively buoyant (floating), thin, and lethargic. Loggerheads are known for their large heads and powerful jaws which they use to crush the hard shells of their prey. So how and why does one get harmed by shells? The answer remains a mystery.

Up until early August, Huntington couldn't dive below the surface of the water due to a large pocket of air trapped inside the intestines from the impaction. S/he floated with one side higher than the other due to the location of the impaction and the excess gas, which meant we had to keep her in only ~18 inches of water. If we filled her tank all the way up, she would have floated completely sideways!

Huntington passed the impaction thanks to various treatments including tube-feeding mineral and cod liver oils to lubricate the intestinal tract, as well as massage therapy, where we applied large vibrating massagers externally around the area of the impaction to stimulate movement. Because Huntington couldn't be fed during treatment for the impaction, regular fluids with dextrose were administered to keep her blood glucose at normal levels. These treatments occurred every 2-3 days for almost 6 weeks, quite a feat for a turtle that weighs 150 pounds!

Once the impaction passed, we were able to start feeding Huntington small amounts of food. This hungry loggerhead is now eating 4.5 pounds of food each day and is an amazing sight to see! She swims without any buoyancy problems, is very close to having a normal body weight and her blood work has greatly improved. She possesses a beautiful carapace beaming with its natural colors. This was an amazing recovery for me to watch and assist with, especially considering that this turtle likely would likely have died without our help. Watching these sick and injured sea turtles recover from illness or injury is the most rewarding part of my internship and I am looking forward to the day when Huntington is released back into the wild.



Romina Ramos
2013 Sea Turtle Rescue Program Intern

Loggerhead "Pluff" Being Released on October 10th!

"Pluff," a 65-pound loggerhead sea turtle treated by the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program, will be released this Thursday, October 10, 2013 at the Folly Beach County Park.  The public is invited to come out to watch as Pluff returned the ocean at 4:30 p.m.   The release is being held in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission (CCPRC).  Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, carpool and are reminded that parking fees apply at the county park.

Pluff was found stranded in the marsh on Hilton Head Island in June of this year.  Upon admittance to the Sea Turtle Hospital, Pluff  Blood tests were performed and the turtle was found to have extremely low blood protein (hypoprotenemia) and a low level of red blood cells (anemia).  Supportive care including antibiotics, vitamin injections and fluid therapy were immediately started.  After just four months of care, Pluff has fully recovered and is ready to be returned to the Atlantic Ocean once again. 

 

Huge thanks to all who helped with Pluff's rescue and rehabilitation. Hope you can join us!

Reflecting on Another Record Loggerhead Nesting Season - An Intern's Story about Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge

As part of my internship with the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program, I have the opportunity to participate in loggerhead nest protection with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. My first day out at Cape Romain was the buggiest day of the season.  Not just little everyday gnats, but immortal, flesh-eating, black flies that surrounded us and would bite right through our clothing. No matter how much bug spray we poisoned our skin with, they just kept on coming.  The 90-degree weather typical of early September here in the Lowcountry certainly did not help and, as you can imagine, digging up hundreds of old sea turtle eggs smelled just delicious. 

In order to get to this unihabited barrier island, we take a boat out at sunrise.  Once we’re out on the boat with the wind in our faces, we are usually lucky enough to witness the most beautiful, captivating sunrises you can imagine.  This is good, as it reminds me of why I wake up at such an ungodly hour to volunteer with U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s (FWS) loggerhead sea turtle nest protection efforts.  It’s the most beautiful view and being on the water is so serene. I can’t even explain how refreshed it makes you feel.

 

As soon as we arrive at Cape Romain, we inventory all of the sea turtle nests on the island.  This means we dig up each nest that has already hatched, count the number of hatched shells, bad eggs (eggs that never hatched), live turtles, and dead turtles. It can be determined if a nest has hatched by looking for hatchling tracks and a slight concavity or indent in the sand.  If we are lucky, we might come across a little live hatchling that may have gotten stuck in the roots or could not make it out with the rest of them.  I promise you, these little nuggets are the cutest creatures you will ever see.  Their willpower to get to the ocean is absolutely ridiculous.  Hatchlings have a long way to crawl before they reach the water, and along the way they need to avoid many predators such as ghost crabs, sea gulls, and raccoons.  The strength that they possess in those little flippers astounds me.  Though they are tough, it has actually been estimated that only 1 in 1000 hatchlings will make it to sexual maturity (adulthood).  In my opinion, having the opportunity to see these little hatchlings trek it to the ocean, makes the vicious flies worth enduring.

One of my most memorable experiences at Cape Romain this year was when we arrived to the island and heard the screeching noises of very excited sea gulls. Naturally, I just assumed the seagulls were ecstatic about a floating piece of bread some fisherman had dropped.  But I was clearly wrong. Jerry, a biologist with FWS, started yelling for us to grab buckets and to follow him.  We were sprinting after him with no idea what was happening, until I saw about 50 seagulls flying around a nest that was in the process of hatching.  I was getting to see a nest hatch! We shooed all the annoying seagulls away and watched as about 80 baby sea turtles emerged from the sand.  Absolutely incredible! As they began to crawl towards the ocean we would pick them up and place them in a bucket in order to later release them to the ocean where there were no seagulls around to snatch them up.

 

The exhausting day of field works comes to an end after we’ve checked all the nests, and we get back on the boat.  On the ride back to the dock at McClellanville, we often see great horned owls (my favorite), peregrine falcons, dolphins, bonnet head sharks, and many other beautiful animals along with the breath-taking scenery.  The last, most satisfying perk at the end of the long but amazing day is always eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the car ride home, and looking forward to the next week of inventory!

Unfortunately, loggerhead nesting season has now come to an end and my time at Cape Romain has finished for this year.  But being able to witness a nest hatching is an experience I will never forget.  Times like these are the little pieces of natural beauty that one gets to experience on a day out at Cape Romain, and something that will be held onto forever.  Yes, you will most likely get eaten alive by monstrous black flies, but I promise you it will be worth every single bug bite.

 

 

Kelly Lane

STRP Fall 2013 Intern

 

 

PHOTO BLOG: September 14, 2013 Sea Turtle Release

Thanks to all who came out to watch Parker, Dennis, Crosby and Skully be returned to the ocean after several months of rehabilitation at the South Carolina Aquarium! For those of you that were unable to make it, here are a few shots of these beautiful creatures going home.


Parker:  The five-pound juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle was accidentally caught by a recreational fisherman at the Myrtle Beach State Park Pier in June 2013. 

Parker avoiding capture from Kelly!

Sea Turtle Hospital volunteer Jo Durham shows Parker to onlookers as she heads down the beach!

 

Dennis: This juvenile Kemp's ridley was one of 18 cold stunned sea turtles admitted by the South Carolina Aquarium in the winter of 2012/13. Dennis was last of the cold-stuns to be released due a joint infection he developed in the right front flipper.

Sea Turtle Hospital volunteer Jo Durham and laser therapist Jennifer Oliverio pose with Parker and Dennis right before release, with a little help from adoptive parent sign holders, Kendal and Ainsley Chunn!



Jennifer Oliverio show Dennis off to onlooker while making her way down the beach.



A beautiful photograph of Dennis before s/he heads in!

Crosby: A 9-pound juvenile green sea turtle was found floating near Crosby's Seafood on the Folly River in April of this year, the same night as the Aquarium's Annual Conservation Gala.

Crosby is pulled from his/her tank right before heading to the beach!



Sea Turtle Hospital volunteer Jacquie Miller shows off Crosby to the crowd with some help from sign holder, Nate Millen!



Crosby getting a little excited!

Taking a little rest before heading in.

 

Skully: The 70-pound juvenile loggerhead stranded on a sandbar in Skull Inlet near Fripp Island in June.

Kelly and Lee load the Skully into the transport bin.

Janie and Mallory from the Fripp Island Turtle Team with Skully.

Janie, Mallory and Kelly carried Skully to the waters edge. The Aquarium's partnership with the turtle nest protection teams are so important! The Oliverio kids held signs so the onlookers knew who was being released!



A great shot of the large crowd watching Skully head home!



Heading home!


These releases bring the South Carolina Aquarium to 129 sea turtles released since the start of the program in 2000. A big thanks to everyone who makes the rescue, rehabilitation and release of these sea turtles possible, including the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, donors, volunteers, interns, and the media that helps to spread the good word about our work!



Whitney Daniel

Sea Turtle Biologist

Update on Briar!

If you are an avid follower of our blog or made a visit to the hospital in late May, you probably remember Briar, a horribly ill loggerhead with a grim prognosis. On the night we received Briar, we found her barely clinging to life, emaciated and with horrible blood values. Staff and volunteers rushed in every morning fingers crossed that she was still with us. Briar proved to be a fighter, amazing us all by making improvements everyday!

It has been 3 months since Briar was admitted, and she looks like a completely different turtle! After being moved from critical care, Briar developed a huge appetite and has been eating 2 pounds of fish and blue crabs daily. Becasue of her active appetite, she has gained approximately 50 pounds and is now at a healthy weight of 165 lb. She has become a favorite on tours, showing her fiesty side trying to bite anything that passes by the window! This change in behavior is an indicator that she feeling much better. During her last medical work up, blood work had improved drastically since admittance but showed she is still slightly anemic. Iron injections have been started and our fingers are crossed for a late summer release!


"Come see me soon!"

Come visit Briar and the rest of our patients on a behind-the-scenes Sea Turtle Hospital Tour, now offered 7 days a week, at 12:00 pm & 2:00pm!

Whitney Daniel

Sea Turtle Biologist



Three Sea Turtles Being Released July 31st!

Three sea turtles have fully recovered from various illnesses and have been medically cleared at the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. In partnership with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, Splinter, Raker and Sutton will be released on Wednesday, July 31st at 10am at the Isle of Palms County Park. The public is invited to attend. The releases are extremely well attended so it is important to arrive early (the County Park will open at 8:30 am for this event), carpool, and plan to pay for parking.

Splinter
Splinter was caught on board the SCDNR research vessel, the Lady Lisa off of Dewees Inlet with what appeared to be a wooden splinter through the right rear flipper. The splinter caused severe inflammation to the flipper, especially around the knee. Antibiotics and pain medications were administered. Surgery to remove the foreign body was performed soon after and revealed the splinter was the tip of a swordfish bill. We'll never know how the interaction occurred but are thrilled that Splinter made such a quick recovery!

Raker
This 8-pound green sea turtle was found on Myrtle Beach by the beach rakers that clean the beaches each morning. The went to great lengths to keep the sick turtle protected until help could arrive.  Raker's core body temperature upon arrival at the Aquarium was only 58 degrees Fahrenheit so s/he was kept in our temperature-controlled surgery suite to prevent her from warming up too quickly. He had a heart rate of only12 bpm and poor blood work. In addition, this turtle sustained has a shell infection and severe corneal abrasions on the eyes. Raker was in critical condition for several days.

 

 

Sutton

Sutton is one of eighteen cold stunned sea turtles transferred to the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital this past winter. Sutton originally cold-stunned around Cape Cod, MA and was initially treated by NEAq’s Marine Animal Rescue Team. In addition to hypothermia causing lethargy, dehydration and reduced heart rate, Sutton has many lesions on his/her body , the worst being around the nose. The lesions have healed, blood work improved, and our feisty Sutton is ready to go back into the ocean!

 



We would like to send a huge thank you to everyone involved in the successful rehabilitation of these animals including rescuers, transporters, partner organizations, donors, volunteers, and staff - we could not do it without you!

 

All the best,

Kelly Thorvalson

Nine Sea Turtles Admitted in the Last Month

Briar - 5/20/13

Briar was found stranded on Myrtle Beach in an extremely debilitated state. This lethargic, emaciated loggerhead was riddled with health problems and was in critical condition after being admitted. In addition to antibiotics, fluids, vitamins to address blood deficiencies, rescue staff have slowly increased her food intake and she has started putting on weight. A month after her admission, she is even eating live blue crabs!

Although Briar's right front flipper has an old injury and is slightly deformed, it does not stop her from having full use of the flipper for swimming and maneuvering around her holding pool. 

Splinter - 5/28/13

Splinter is a 65-lb loggerhead that was caught on board the SCDNR Research Vessel, the Lady Lisa, with a large "splinter" in the right rear flipper. Upon arrival at the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital, we were shocked to see that the huge foreign body entered at the knee and was deeply embedded in the tissue. The tissue surrounding the splinter was red and swollen and the injury could have ultimately caused big problems for the turtle.

 

What at first looked like a large piece of wood turned out to be the tip of a swordfish bill. We will never know how the swordfish and loggerhead interacted causing this impalement but are happy that we were able to remove the "splinter" before it caused more damage.

Huntington - 5/30/13
This large loggerhead was rescued by boaters just off Hunting Beach, SC. The turtle was floating at the surface of the ocean and tilting to one side. When the boat approached, the turtle was unable to dive. Luckily the boaters recognized that the turtle was in distress and got her into the boat for a trip to meet SCDNR volunteers and staff to be transported to the South Carolina Aquarium.

Air trapped in the body of a sea turtle is normally the cause of positive buoyancy, and most often the air is trapped in the intestinal tract by an impaction. Radiographs are very useful is diagnosing intestinal impactions.

It took no time at all to see the impaction on x-ray, as it is very radiodense (does not allow electromagnetic radiation to pass). When radiodense objects are found in the intestines of a sea turtle, they are usually shells of the prey the turtles have been eating. 

Treatments to move impactions through the intestines include tube feeding mineral/fish oil, fluids to help with hydration and hypoglycemia (since the turtle is unable to eat), enemas, and vibrating massage around the area of impaction. The photo below shows how the turtle floats in her holding pool.

King - 5/30/13
A juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle was caught by a recreational fisherman on the Myrtle Beach State Park fishing pier. SCDNR nest protection volunteers Mary Pringle (Isle of Palms) and Linda Mataya (North Myrtle - right) relayed the turtle to the South Carolina Aquarium.

Radiographs were taken to see the location of the hook and luckily it was in the upper portion of the esophagus. This particular hook removal surgery was very quick and did not require the turtle to be fully anesthetized, nor did the turtle have to go on antibiotics which is very rare for admissions. Hopefully this will be a quick rehab!

Parker - 6/10/13
The next admission was also a juvenile Kemp's ridley caught on hook and line from Myrtle Beach State Park. This turtle was very thin and had poor blood work, an indication that it was unhealthy and possibly scavenging for food at the pier. Hook removal surgery was a little more difficult as the hook was much deeper. Surgery was successful and the turtle is currently eating and doing well.

Skully - 6/18/13
This juvenile loggerhead was found by a Virginia sea turtle stranding volunteer who was visiting the Beaufort area. They were kayaking just off of Fripp Island and found the turtle stranded on a sandbar in Skull Inlet. Recognizing that this is not at all normal for a young sea turtle, the were able to get help from the Fripp Island turtlers to get the turtle to land.

In addition to being lethargic and thin, there is a wound on the plastron that could be causing the health issues. 

Miss Royal - 6/20/13
Once again, the SCDNR in-water research program caught a sea turtle in their trawl survey with injuries that if not treated, could cause big problems in time. Miss Royal (named after Port Royal Sound in Beaufort where the turtle was brought in for rescue) is an adult female loggerhead weighing approximately 215 pounds with two boat strike injuries in the carapace as well as a portion of the right rear flipper.

The silver on the wound is an aluminum water resistant spray-on bandage called Aluspray that adheres to the wound and provides a protective barrier under water.

NUD - 6/20/13

This loggerhead from the sound end of DeBordieu Beach is the most critical case in the hospital currently. The turtle is severely debilitated with a hematocrit level of 5.5%, total protein of 1.8 and no detectable blood glucose and is suffering from NUD, necrotic ulcerative disease of the skin. 

The margins of the carapace are soft and depressed (above) due to the calcium from the bone being absorbed. There are many necrotic ulcerations on the animal's soft tissue but one of the easiest to see on on photo (below) is the necrosis exposing the nuchal bone on the skull.

Upon admission the turtle received IV and subcutaneous fluids, vitamins, 2 different antibiotics, disinfecting skin treatment and is being kept in a shallow pool of water. 

Pluff - 6/20/13

This young loggerhead was found stuck in the marsh in Hilton Head Island. Affectionately named Pluff after the mud that is found in lowcountry marshes, the loggerhead was the third sea turtle stranding to be admitted to the Sea Turtle Hospital on Thursday. Pluff is suffering from severe hypoproteinemia (low blood protein) as well as anemia (low level of red blood cells). We are very used to seeing these levels low in sick sea turtles but the protein level is the lowest we have ever seen at 0.5. Antibiotics, vitamins and fluid therapy are included in the supportive care being given to Pluff.

 

 

When time permits, all of the patients will be added to the main Sea Turtle Hospital webpage and periodic updates will be provided. Thanks to everyone that is involved in the rescue of these sick and injured sea turtles, the volunteers that transport them, and the Sea Turtle Rescue volunteers, interns and staff that are always willing to come in after hours to help- there are far too many people involved to name here but we all know who you are!

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager