photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
photo by South Carolina Aquarium
Two sea turtles treated by the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program are again swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. On Thursday, Lady, a large female loggerhead, and Forest, a juvenile green sea turtle, were released at the Isle of Palms County Park. Due to traffic and safety concerns ahead of the holiday weekend, the City of Isle of Palms requested details surrounding this release not be sent to the public in advance.
The release was held in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC). The Sea Turtle Hospital is currently at capacity with new patients being admitted almost daily this week, requiring these two turtles to be released immediately once medically cleared. Thursday’s release marks 191 sea turtles successfully treated and released by the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program.
About the sea turtles:
Lady:
Lady, an adult female loggerhead sea turtle weighing just 95 pounds, was found last summer debilitated and floating near Lady’s Island, South Carolina. Boaters enjoying a day on the water found Lady covered in barnacles and behaving abnormally. Luckily, they called SCDNR, who responded and transported the turtle to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital. Upon admission, Lady was severely emaciated and lethargic; she was also diagnosed with bilateral cataracts. Initial treatment included a physical exam, fluids, antibiotics and vitamins, while surgery to remove the cataracts in both eyes was postponed until Lady was stronger. Dr. Anne Cook from Animal Eye Care of the Lowcountry donated the surgery, which is the sixth she has performed on a loggerhead sea turtle. Lady successfully recovered from surgery and now sees well enough to actively chase live blue crabs around her tank. She is back to full weight at more than 140 pounds.
Forest:
Forest, a juvenile green sea turtle, was found by a group of girls biking at Forest Beach on Hilton Head Island in April of this year. The girls noticed that Forest was not moving and that there were small spots of blood near the turtle, indicating s/he was wounded. Treatment at admission included fluids, vitamins, antibiotics and blood analysis. The initial physical exam indicated that Forest was in relatively good body condition but was suffering from numerous abrasions and lacerations to the front and rear flippers, consistent with a shark attack. Subsequent exams including radiographs revealed Forest was also suffering from an intestinal impaction. Weeks of treatment, including fluids and an enema, helped clear the impaction. After several months of hands-on care, Forest is ready for release.
Approaching the release of the 200th rehabilitated sea turtle, the South Carolina Aquarium announced the commitment of a community challenge grant in support of the Sea Turtle Recovery experience. Presented by Dr. Del and Linda Schutte on behalf of the Charleston Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, the Aquarium has secured a challenge grant opportunity for which each dollar raised, up to $100,000 will be matched 1:1. To make a donation visit scaquarium.org/donate.
Slated to open May 2017, Sea Turtle Recovery will serve as a living, interactive learning landscape. It will present the remarkable journey from rescue, to rehabilitation, to release that each of our patients experience, establishing the Aquarium as a powerful educational presenter of sea turtle conservation on the East Coast.
How you can help sea turtles:
You can help protect threatened and endangered sea turtles. If you find a sick or injured sea turtle, contact the SCDNR sea turtle hotline at (800) 922-5431.
To read about our patients or track their recovery progress, visit our Sea Turtle Rescue Program blog at scaquarium.org. Follow us on Facebook andTwitter for the latest updates from the hospital, including public sea turtle release details.