South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtles Join the Sea Turtle Trek for Florida Release!

Sea Turtle Trek

The 6 SUVs pulling into the gas station one behind the other, looked like the Secret Service. But instead of men in suits getting out of the vehicles, a bunch of road weary yet jolly sea turtle biologists and volunteers piled out. The crew of 12 from the New England Aquarium and National Aquarium started the trip to Florida in Quincy, Massachusetts on Saturday. They made several stops on their way to pick up sea turtles from various rehabilitation facilities that were ready for release. The stop at 5am on I-95 to pick up 5 sea turtles from the South Carolina Aquarium made the grand total 52!

Meet the Turtles

First, meet the 5 South Carolina Aquarium sea turtles that were released:

McNally was one of 10 cold stunned sea turtles flown to Charleston on December 5, 2012 from the New England Aquarium. Blood was pulled (left photo) on McNally and all new patients for baseline health assessment.

Kennedy and the other little guys were safely contained in banana boxes during the December flight donated by Charleston's own Gary Davis of Davis Air, Inc.

Ollie suffered severe propeller strikes to the carapace and skull but healed amazingly well. This little green sea turtle had an extra spunky personality and was a favorite.

Kit is a loggerhead that cold stunned off the NC coast in January. What a difference a few months of care in our Sea Turtle Hospital made in Kit's physical appearance!

Preparation and loading at the South Carolina Aquarium
Long time Sea Turtle Hospital volunteer, Barbara Bergwerf and I met at 2:30 am at the Aquarium for preparation and loading of turtles. The plan was to meet the Sea Turtle Trek caravan on I-95 between 4-5 am which was about an hour away.

Barb and I transferred Kit from his holding tank to the transport container.

The 3-year old loggerhead was pulled from the Sea Turtle Exhibit on the 2nd floor of the Aquarium. Two extremely cute 1-year old loggerheads are now in the exhibit!

The two Kemp's ridleys, McNally and Kennedy (pictured), were sleeping on the bottom on their tanks when I pulled them out. Needless to say, they didn't put up much of a fight!

With the help of Aquarium night security Jamison Scott, the 5 sea turtles were loaded into the Husbandry Van and the first leg of their journey began.

5am Sunday morning at a truck stop on I-95
Barb and I drove approximately an hour to I-95 to meet the Sea Turtle Trek. Our turtles were added to mix and away they drove for the final leg of the trip to Jacksonville, Florida.

 

When we met the caravan and opened the van doors, we found Ollie trying to sneak out of his container. Luckily we had packed the containers well so this was as far as the little escapee could get!

Each vehicle was full of turtle boxes large and small; it was like putting a puzzle together to fit them all!

The Sea Turtle Trek crew had been on the road (trading off drivers) for 13 hours but still had big smiles on their faces! I joined them for a quick photo before they started on the last leg of the trip. 

The Release

The Sea Turtle Trek arrived in Jacksonville, FL about 11am on Sunday morning and released all 52 sea turtles into the ocean. The release crew was happy to feel the warm Florida air and firm ground under their feet.

Transport boxes with turtles were offloaded from the SUVs to the beach.

The 5 South Carolina Aquarium sea turtles were released first!

The South Carolina Aquarium sea turtles left to right: Ollie (green); McNally and Kennedy (Kemp's ridleys close to their releasers and namesakes, Kerry McNally and Adam Kennedy); Kit (loggerhead), Shannon (exhibit loggerhead).

The exhibit loggerhead and Kennedy race for the waters!

The last batch of sea turtles to be released were almost 30 from the New England Aquarium. The entire release crew lined up with turtles. What a moment!!!

Two amazing women - Jennifer Dittmar, Rescue Coordinator for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and Connie Merigo, Rescue Manager for New England Aquarium. With the help of their staff and volunteers, these two did an amazing job coordinating the Sea Turtle Trek to help 52 threatened and endangered sea turtles get back to the ocean. Great job, ladies!

Most of these sea turtles were rescued this winter as part of the largest cold-stunning event on record in the Northeast. Many facilities, including the South Carolina Aquarium, pulled together to house the sea turtles because the New England Aquarium's Animal Rescue Center was overflowing with turtles. And many of the facilities were able to get sea turtles on this release....a beautiful ending to an exhausting but exhilarating winter. Releasing these animals back into the ocean has a way of wiping away the crazy amount of hours we all worked to get to this point - THIS is why we do what we do.

With love of turtles,
Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

Organizations involved in the Sea Turtle Trek: New England Aquarium, National Aquarium in Baltimore, University of New England at Biddeford, National Marine Life Center, Riverhead Foundation, Virginia Aquarium and the South Carolina Aquarium.

Sea Turtle Release this Thursday at Kiawah!

The South Carolina Aquarium is excited to announce the release of two sea turtles, Pier and Grover, at 3pm on Thursday, August 16th at Beachwalker County Park on Kiawah Island. County Park parking fees apply and parking will be limited so please carpool and arrive early. This release, in partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, will bring the South Carolina Aquarium to 94 sea turtles successfully rehabilitated and returned to the ocean.

Pier:  This juvenile loggerhead sea turtle suffered a massive shark bite to the carapace (shell) and remarkably, escaped otherwise unscathed. Luckily, fishermen on the Folly Beach fishing pier caught the injured turtle on hook and line and notified proper authorities so the turtle could be transported to the Sea Turtle Hospital and returned to optimal health.


Pier's first swim in the Sea Turtle Hospital.

Close up of Pier's wound during admission.

A remarkable amount of healing has taken place in only 2 months!

Grover:  Rescued in March of this year from the chilly waters of Cherry Grove, the juvenile green sea turtle was the first live local stranding of the season. The 60 degree waters caused the turtle to become hypothermic but after 5 months in rehabilitation, is incredibly strong and feisty!

Grover's behavior and physical condition improved greatly after 4 months of rehabilitation.

The colors of Grover's plastron, carapace and skin has improved dramatically!

These turtles have made a lasting impression on those that have visited them in the hospital on tours and that have worked with them. They both epitomize the resilience of sea turtles and their feisty nature reminds us why these animals have been around for millions of years. Good luck Pier and Grover!

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

PS - Remember to arrive extra early to get a parking place and a good viewing spot on the ropes!

First sea turtle release of the season on April 29!

In partnership with the SC Department of Natural Resources and Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, the South Carolina Aquarium will be releasing 6 sea turtles back into the wild at the Isle of Palms County Park on April 29^th at 10:30am. The public is invited to watch as 4 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, 1 juvenile loggerhead, and the rare green/loggerhead hybrid rejoin sea turtle populations in the Atlantic Ocean. County Park gates will open at 9:30am (30 minutes earlier than normal for this occasion), and parking fees apply. Carpooling is strongly encouraged as traffic will be heavy into the park.

The loggerhead being released is Little River from Little River, SC. She suffered traumatic carapace injuries from a boat propeller, a partial front flipper amputation, and partial paralysis of the rear flippers. In the video below, Little River is pulled for a monthly weight check. The rear flipper usage is stronger out of water than she exhibits while swimming and we are confident that she will continue to gain movement in the wild.

The rare green/loggerhead hybrid sea turtle, Eclipse, and four Kemp's ridleys, Mason, Innis, Sampson and Eastham, have also been medically cleared for release. These animals were cold-stunned off the New England Coast in December and treated at the New England Aquarium, then transported to the South Carolina Aquarium in January. These young turtles are definitely the most active sea turtles currently in our care and can be seen swimming and enjoying various forms of enrichment. We offer a variety of enrichment to our sea turtles including fish pops, back scratchers, live crabs, and sleeping tubes.

Catching sea turtle patients napping in their tubes never ceases to delight staff, volunteers and hospital guests. Innis and Sampson are pictured below sleeping in their pipes.  Sea turtle are not able to retract into their shells like other turtles so in the wild they will sleep in the safety of caves and over hangs. The tubes in their tanks mimic these habitats and sea turtles of all sizes and species utilize them.

Fish pops, frozen water with fish, are great way for sea turtles to seek out their food in a totally different way than normal, providing brain stimulation and exercise for their jaw muscles! Below is a video of Eastham really enjoying his fish pop filled with mackerel and capelin.

Get involved! Learn more about each patient’s medical care in our Sea Turtle Hospital, visit the patients in the hospital this week before they get released – tour days and times are HERE, and come out to watch these animals be released into the wild next Sunday. It is an experience you won’t soon forget!

The Sea Turtle Rescue Team

First SC live stranding admitted into Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital

A green sea turtle admitted on St. Patrick's Day - how appropriate! It was definitely this little turtle's lucky day to be rescued on Saturday evening in Cherry Grove, SC. Had recreational fisherman, Jamie Smith, not found him before darkness fell, the turtle may not have survived the night. North Myrtle Beach SCUTE members Rob and Linda responded quickly to the stranding call. Linda gave the turtle the best chance of survival by transporting it to meet Charlotte Hope from SCDNR in Georgetown for the transfer - a long drive for all involved.

Admitted into the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital about 10:30pm with a low heart rate of 24 beats per minute, high blood CO2, and a core body temperature of 67 degrees F, it is apparent that "Grover" had been in colder waters than his cold-blooded body could tolerate.

Diagnostic tests included bloodwork and x-rays. Initial treatment included fluid therapy, antibiotics, vitamins C and B, and a slow temperature acclimation, all lasting until well after midnight. Although Grover is still very lethargic, the prognosis is favorable.

Huge thanks to all involved in Grover's rescue! Be sure to keep up with his progress on the main hospital webpage.

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

PS - The green Team Tortuga shirt I am wearing was given to me by the kids at East Cooper Montessori School that are raising funds for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program as their Peace Project. It was only fitting to wear it on St. Patrick's Day and to honor their efforts!

Earth Fare donates organic produce to feed endangered green sea turtles!

Since the admission of eight new cold-stunned juvenile green sea turtles last December, we’ve been researching the nutritional value of various produce items in an effort to provide these turtles with foods that best resemble the omnivorous diet they would be consuming at this age in the wild. We began supplementing their daily fish diet with veggies such as romaine lettuce, bell peppers, and kale. The greens happily munched the veggies from newly designed PVC feeders that allowed them to feed off the bottom of their tank in the same way they would graze from a seagrass bed in the wild. Unfortunately, feeding this new produce-based diet to ten turtles on a daily basis was financially straining our resources. We decided to contact John Messinger, Manager at Earth Fare, a local health food supermarket in the West Ashley Windermere Shopping Center known for its selection of local and organic farm fresh fruits and vegetables. John had previously visited our Sea Turtle Hospital and was excited about supporting our efforts to rehabilitate endangered green sea turtles. Earth Fare is now providing us with a weekly donation of produce for our turtles! In addition to staples like romaine lettuce, our greens are now grazing on delicious dandelion greens, cabbage, gold beet leaves, and brussel sprouts on the stalk as seen on the photo below.


On behalf of the South Carolina Aquarium and our ten green sea turtles, we’d like to thank John, Matt Setter and Linda Helms from the produce department, as well as the rest of the Earth Fare crew for all their efforts to help us keep our sea turtles as healthy as possible while undergoing rehabilitation in our Sea Turtle Hospital. Be sure to check Earth Fare out online at http://www.earthfare.com/ and enjoy the video below!


Christi Hughes, Sea Turtle Biologist

Loggerheads "Beasley" and "Ocracoke" lucky to be alive

The South Carolina Aquarium admitted 2 new patients on February 11th that were part of the most recent cold stunning event off the NC coast. The two loggerheads named "Beasley," after the Karen Beasley Rescue and Rehabilitation Center that took in the turtles when they first stranded, and "Ocracoke," the NC island where the turtles were found, had internal body temperatures of 51 degrees Fahrenheit when they stranded. These animals are lucky to survive the severe 3-day cold-stunning event that killed ~75% of the 109 sea turtles involved. Kelly Sloan of SCDNR transported the animals from NC to the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital where they will receive treatment until medically cleared for release.

Click on photographs to enlarge.

Sea Turtle Hospital staff set up a new holding pool with life support to help out with the large numbers of strandings and several temporary tanks are being used to increase holding capacity. As always, we will do all we can to help in these terrible events.

Find out more about "Beasely" and "Ocracoke" on the Sea Turtle Hospital webpage or come visit them in person by taking a Sea Turtle Hospital behind-the-scenes tour - we'd love to see you!

Kelly

Cold front leaves many sea turtles in poor health

A major cold front that drops coastal water temperatures is big trouble for sea turtles that have yet to migrate to warmer waters. Their cold-blooded bodies can't take the temperature drop and they become lethargic and immunosupressed. The lucky ones to survive a cold-stunning event can suffer from hypothermia, pneumonia, skin and shell lesions and secondary infections.

Last year it happened during Thanksgiving week and this year, the call came at Christmas. Sea turtles stranding on North Carolina beaches daily and the folks from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission scrambling to get them all placed. The Karen Beasley Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is so full that they had turtles in the bathrooms. The three NC aquariums all do their part. Yet more turtles keep coming.

On December 28, as DuBose Griffin from the SC Department of Natural Resources drove to the NC border to take 9 sea turtles off the hands of Wendy Cluse, Sea Turtle Rescue staff at the South Carolina Aquarium scrambled to make some room in the already full hospital. Upon arrival, the turtles received subcutaneous fluids, eye ointment and a thin coat of petroleum jelly to help with hydration. 3 of the 9 were placed in shallow pools that will be their home for their rehabilitation and the other 6 spent the night in their transport bins to continue their journey the next morning to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

Learn more about the 3 newest patients, Cluse, Dare and Frisco, by going to the hospital page and clicking on each individual case. These will be periodically updated. There is also a great article from the Post and Courier at http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/dec/29/eagle-sick-turtles-er-drama-all-in-days-work/ and video from ABC News 4 at http://cfc.wciv.com/videoondemand.cfm?id=55733&cat=news. Be sure to check them out!

Thank you to all involved in rescuing all of the sea turtles involved in this cold-stunning event and I wish all the facilities treating these ill animals the best. Most of all, I want to thank you, the public, for your commitment to us, as we cannot do what this work without your help. There are many wonderful ways to support - book a hospital tour to visit the patients, become a stranded turtle adoptive parent, send a tax deductible donation, spread the word about the work we are doing and forward this blog link to your friends!

Hope you all have a blessed new year!

Kelly