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!

A closer look at the hybrid sea turtle, "Eclipse"

At first glance, Eclipse appears to be just another feisty sea turtle in our hospital, splashing around his tank and rubbing his shell on his PVC backscratcher. But Eclipse is very unique, and you’ve likely never seen another turtle that looks just like him.

That’s because Eclipse is a rare hybrid, and he possesses an interesting combination of physical traits inherited from his parents. Although genetic analysis is still pending, it’s very apparent that this juvenile is a cross between a loggerhead and a green sea turtle. If you know even a little about the very different life histories of those two species, you’ll be apt to spend as much time as I have pondering the many choices this charismatic little turtle is going to have to make in the future!

The shape of a turtle’s head and beak are indicative of its diet. For example, the loggerhead turtle is known for its large, wide head and massive beak. This combination of a robust beak, which contains cutting and crushing plates, and a large skull, which houses a mass of muscle, enable the loggerhead to easily crush the shells of crabs and mollusks. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the green sea turtle, who is equipped with a small head and beak with a serrated edge. This serrated beak is perfect for tearing and consuming sea grass and algae, staples of the greens’ diet.

Take a look at Eclipse’s head and beak in the picture below. Like a green, his head is small and he has only two scutes (or scales) between the eyes. However, his coloration and beak, which lacks a serrated edge, closely resemble a loggerhead’s. Will he have enough muscle strength in his small skull to eat crabs? Or will he be able to consume sea grass efficiently without a serrated beak?

Sea turtles are often identified in part based on the number of scutes (individual scales or sections) on their carapace (shell). In this aspect, Eclipse also appears to be half green turtle and half loggerhead. On his left side, Eclipse has just four scutes like a green. However, his right side has five scutes, just like a loggerhead. The shape and coloration of his shell more closely resemble a loggerhead’s as well, as he lacks the beautiful marbleized patterns and rounder shape characteristic of green sea turtles.

Regardless of his genetic heritage, Eclipse is thriving in our hospital and has almost fully recovered from being cold-stunned in Massachusetts last November, first receiving treatment at the New England Aquarium. Although he’s not a fan of the romaine lettuce we offer him, a treat which green turtles love to munch on, he chows down on a healthy assortment of restaurant quality fishes like smelt, mackerel, and capelin. Come visit Eclipse in our hospital and learn more about what makes him unique!

Christi Hughes
Sea Turtle Biologist

Help Montessori students and Cinebarre support sea turtle conservation

Students from East Cooper Montessori Charter School are inviting the public to the Cinebarre in Mount Pleasant this Thursday, March 8^th to watch a wonderful film about sea turtles for only $5! Not only will you learn more about these ancient creatures, but you’ll be helping raise money for sick and injured sea turtles that strand along the SC coast. Thanks to the generosity of Cinebarre, all proceeds from ticket sales will go towards rehabilitating sea turtles at the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Rescue Program, a non-profit organization with no state or federal funding. Folks are encouraged to come out at 4pm to meet Team Tortuga, the group of students working so hard to save sea turtles, visit informational tables about turtle rescue and nest protection, and order delicious food from Cinebarre before the movie starts at 4:30pm.

This is just one of several events planned by Team Tortuga for their Peace Project, a year-long project implemented by the school that teaches students to give back to their community. The kids have three primary goals for this project: 1) to raise awareness about the environmental pressures sea turtles face, 2) to teach basic conservation tips, and 3)  raise $1000 for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program, allowing the students to become the highest level of Stranded Turtle Adoptive Parents. Among other things, this adoption will allow a class of 30 to tour the South Carolina Aquarium and Sea Turtle Hospital, receive regular updates on new patients and sea turtle releases, and have a rescue program staff member give a presentation at the school.

Huge thanks to East Cooper Montessori Charter School, Team Tortuga, the Cinebarre movie theater, and all who come out to support these kids’ efforts!  

Kelly Thorvalson

My, what beautiful skin you have!

"Hamlin Creek," named for the creek behind the Isle of Palms where s/he was rescued, was admitted into the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Rescue Program last summer suffering from a severe skin disease. Large areas of soft tissue on the flippers and neck were infected resulting in tissue loss. The heavy encrustation of tiny barnacles masked some of the skin ulcerations, but as the barnacles fell off and medications started working, the skin lesions became more apparent.

PHOTO: On the day of arrival, Hamlin Creek was covered in small barnacles. A close view of the soft tissue revealed skin lesions and tissue loss.

PHOTO: The white skin ulcerations on the left are indicative of antibiotics and external wound treatments taking effect. This photo was taken a month after admittance and is compared with a recent photograph on the right of Hamlin Creek. Notice the large grey patches where new skin has regenerated. You may also notice that the flipper appears a bit short and stubby - this is a result of the tissue loss on the tip and posterior edge of the flipper and occurred on all four flippers.

With a great deal to overcome including regeneration of tissue, poor bloodwork, and extreme lethargy, we are thrilled with the progress Hamlin Creek has made and believe she looks positively beautiful! To learn more details about this patient and the medical care, go to the main hospital webpage.

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

Bay Path College Lends a Hand

Bay Path College’s 'One America' history class had the unique opportunity to travel and experience places they learned about during their semester. The 2012 trip included stops in Atlanta, Savannah, and our very own Charleston. Although their trip focused on visiting historic landmarks such as The King Center, Carter Museum and Fort Sumter, the group also made time to volunteer in each city.

With Charleston on the list of stops, the group contacted our Sea Turtle Rescue Program hoping aid our conservation efforts by participating in a beach sweep. Knowing the implications of trash on our beaches, we were thrilled with the idea. Litter on beaches and in our oceans harm marine mammals, sea turtles, and birds. These animals can ingest or become entangled in trash and according to Say No to Plastics, result in an estimated 100,000 deaths a year.

Taking a closer look at a sea star found during the clean-up.


The girls celebrating a successful cleanup!

The Bay Path group and Sea Turtle Rescue Program staff spent over an hour cleaning trash and recyclables from Folly Beach. Some of our most common finds during the beach sweep were plastic wrapping, aluminum cans, cigarette butts, and firework debris. After the clean-up, the group headed back to the South Carolina Aquarium to tour the Sea Turtle Hospital where they learned all about sea turtles and gathered information about college internships and careers within our field.

In the hospital introduction, the girls learn about the four species of sea turtles found off the SC coast.

The girls meet Gumby, our very small and spunky loggerhead recovering from metabolic bone disease. 

A BIG thank you to the Bay Path One America History class for all your hard work on the beach!

Whitney Daniel
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Biologist

Sea turtles take to the skies!

It wasn't until Thursday that Andy Smith, the pilot from North American Jet flying demonstration flights near Boston, Massachusetts, learned that he may be traveling back to Charleston with seven endangered sea turtles. It's probably something that had never crossed his mind. But that's exactly what he did on Sunday afternoon. Through the generosity of Mason Holland, Charleston resident and owner of North American Jet, seven sea turtles suffering the effects of cold-stunning off the New England coast flew in style to finish rehabilitation at the South Carolina Aquarium.

Prior to Sunday, the turtles had been receiving treatment at the New England Aquarium in Boston but their hospital beds were full and seal season was on its way. The South Carolina Aquarium offered to take several patients to lighten their load.

The South Carolina Aquarium Sprinter Van greets the Eclipse 500, one of the most fuel efficient jets in the world.


Taking a look at the precious cargo.

Turtles snug in their boxes ready for the last leg of their trip.

James Platzer with North American Jet staff, pilot Andy Smith and Charleston Dispatcher Chris Casias

Team from Sea Turtle Rescue Program and North American Jet

The first strandings for our new interns, Caroline and Vicki

Their body temperatures were monitored and they went into tanks when they warmed to within a few degrees of tank temperatures

All seven turtles recieved exams and treatment for skin lesions

Six of the seven patients are juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, the most endangered of all the species. These little guys range from 5-9 pounds. They have been named in honor of those that helped them up to this point, including folks from the New England Aquarium and North American Jet.

The seventh sea turtle is actually a hybrid! A DNA sample has been taken for analysis to determine exactly what kind of hybrid, but it is most likely a loggerhead green. This special turtle is named Eclipse after the very special jet that transported the turtles. The Eclipse 500 aircraft is one of the lightest, most fuel efficient jets in the world. Click here to learn more about Eclipse Aerospace. Also, be sure to check out the New England Aquarium Marine Animal Rescue Blog that was written when the hybrid was first admitted.

Christi carries Eclipse to her new tank

We would like to thank all that have helped these animals thus far. Huge thanks to all involved their initial rescue and rehabilitation in New England, especially the good folks at the New England Aquarium. Thanks to DuBose Griffin from SCDNR for the fast transport permits, to Sea Turtle Rescue Volunteer Rachel Brennan and her husband, Tim for making the first call to find a flight for these turtles, to James Spatzer who made the call to Mason Holland that ultimately got the turtles here, to all the folks at Atlantic Aviation in Charleston, SC, and especially to Mason Holland and Andy Smith from North American Jet. We are so grateful!

Kelly Thorvalson
Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

Gumby is growing and thriving

If you haven’t seen Gumby since this summer, you wouldn’t recognize him. This feisty and aggressive loggerhead no longer bears any resemblance to the little sea turtle that floated nearly motionless at the surface of his tank when he was admitted. Months of intensive treatment which included daily calcium supplementation, daily trips outside for sun baths to allow for dermal synthesis of vitamin D, and a strict diet high in calcium and vitamin D, have successfully resolved Gumby’s severe metabolic bone disease.

Upon arrival, Gumby could not feed on his own and had to be tong fed.

Gumby is now very aggressive during feedings.

Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, which has donated multiple diagnostic CT and MRI scans for our sick and injured sea turtles, welcomed Gumby for a CT scan on December 1st. The CT scan allowed us to measure Gumby’s bone density, and we are thrilled to report that it is now within normal range.

Gumby goes for CT scan

3-D CT scan

Although our treatment has strengthened Gumby’s skeletal system, we do have several concerns regarding his overall fitness and potential for release back into the wild. Pathological fractures are always a concern with severe cases of metabolic bone disease, and recent radiographs confirm that Gumby’s femurs (thigh bones) and metacarpals (wrist bones) are bowed. Additionally, Gumby’s pectoral girdle, which consists of the bones that anchor the critically important pectoral swimming muscles, is poorly developed. These abnormalities are likely the result of the poor husbandry and inadequate diet we suspect this little turtle endured before he stranded on a Kiawah beach last June. 

X-ray comparison from admission to November 2011

On a positive note, Gumby has more than doubled in size since last June, and his overall demeanor has improved drastically. He is enjoying a large tank with a sea bass for a tank mate, and we continue our efforts to enrich his life and improve his health. If it’s been a few months since you’ve seen this amazing little loggerhead, come by the Aquarium for a visit! When he’s up to his usual antics, this charismatic little turtle never fails to elicit smiles and laughter.

"Come see me!"

Christi Hughes 
Sea Turtle Biologist