Ali, Gumbo, Cracker, Josie and Sharkey have a new home. The Weymouth Sealife Center in Dorset England requested 5 of our permanent residents to be transferred to their newly re-designed sea turtle habitat as educational animals. Turtle Hospital staff member Tom Luebke built each sea turtle thier own transportation box for safety and comfort. Turtle Hospital director Richie Moretti (pictured below) and administrator Ryan Butts accompanied these Green sea turtles on a British Airlines flight to their new home 4,700 miles away.

The Turtle Hospital had 17 permanent residents prior to the transfer. These sea turtles could not be released back into the wild due to their injuries. Most had suffered boat strikes that left them floating from a condition called “Bubble Butt Syndrome.” Every year The Turtle Hospital admits nearly 100 patients, of which one or two are typically considered unreleasable due to these types of injuries. Although they may never return to their home in the wild, they can still live out happy healthy lives in a facility like the Weymouth Sealife Center. In captivity they serve as ambassadors to their species, helping to spread awareness on the impact humans have on sea turtles to places around the world. This is the furthest The Turtle Hospital has ever traveled with a sea turtle.

Of the 5 transfered sea turtles, Ali had been at the facility the longest. This year marked his 9 year anniversary at the hospital. Over time Turtle Hospital staff can grow quite attached to the patients however we will always know how they are doing thanks to our friends at the Sealife Center! So if you’re in Dorset, stop by and say hello to the Florida sea turtles!

 For more on this story and to see our sea turtles in their new home please click the following link:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8473968.stm

Over the course of 3 days, during some of the coldest temperatures on record for Florida, The Turtle Hospital admitted 178 cold stunned turtles (Loggerheads, Greens and Hawksbills). This was on top of our current patient load of 51 turtles. During the coldest weather, we placed the cold stunned sea turtles in 8 of the on property motels rooms (with heaters).

The Turtle Hospital staff also filled the hospital (including the bathrooms) with tubs and pools of turtles. Others were placed in tanks with heat lamps and in our research trailer with space heaters. We activated the two 30 foot tanks (used for hurricane evacuation of our animals from the main pool) and were able to bring up the temperature, allowing the turtle to be placed in water.

In additional to our employees working 12 hours days there was an outpouring of help and assistance from individuals in the community and other organizations. The Turtle Hospital wishes to thank everyone who made donations, both monetary and by providing items desperately needed such as towels, kiddy pools, space heaters and medical supplies.

Special thanks to the FWC, the officers who were picking up stunned animals and especially Sue Schaf, FWC Marine Turtle Biologist who spent countless hours collecting the animals from Key Largo to Key West (at one time bringing 18 in her truck). Sue worked with the Turtle Hospital staff to process the turtles in (reports, weights, measurements, medical care) and to help coordinate the releases when the temperature improved. Other FWC personnel helped with providing boats for releasing turtles and assisting with work at the Hospital.

Thanks to Coast Guard station Marathon for the boats and crew used to release the larger Loggerheads, Hawksbills  and Greens out on the reef.

Thanks to FWRI Marathon and Keys Marine Lab for providing boats and personnel used to release turtles into the Gulf.

Thanks for all the persons who spotted and in many cases retrieved turtles from marinas / private property allowing easy pick up or even dropping the turtles off at The Turtle Hospital

Thanks to Rick Sall (President of Save a Turtle) for coordinating runs up to Dade County to pick up additional tubs and pools.

Thanks to Katie Rudacille and Hawks Nest Condos for the generous donation of a 40,000 gallon pool heater. This allowed heating the water in our 30 foot tanks which allowed “dry docked” turtle to be placed into water.

Thanks to Patrick Cody from Suburban Propane for the immediate installation of gas tanks, lines and start up of the pool heater.

Thanks to Denny Luppens from Spas Inc. for the donation of time to repair and install pumps required for the large tanks protein skimmers.

Thanks to Doctor Doug Mader for his time evaluating the turtles and providing staff to assist with medical care.

A big Thanks to The Dolphin Research Center for providing a crew and forklift that allowed the larger turtles (up to 285 pounds) to be safely moved into the large tanks and from the tanks to the boats for release.

DRC also had crews in boats, picking up and delivering cold stunned turtles to the hospital. DRC provided divers to retrieve the dead fish from our main 100,000 pool, before we could put turtles back.

(Photo courtesy Donna Blaszcak)

At this time, almost all of the cold stunned turtles have been returned to the water. The exception is any animal that requires additional medical treatment. A number of the Greens (aprox 20) have Fibropapilloma and will require surgery to remove the tumors prior to release. Some of these sea turtles have such a large number of tumors that they will require multiple surgeries. After two long weeks, and hundreds of cold stunned sea turtles released, The Turtle Hospital is currently treating about 70 sea turtles.

The Florida Keys typically provide year round warm weather and beautiful clear blue waters that attract residents, tourists and wildlife alike. Many juvenile sea turtles returning from the oceanic stage of their life spend time in shallower areas around Florida’s coast foraging for food in the traditionally warmer waters. It is this exact behavior that has left them susceptible to the extreme cold front staying on top of the Southeast region.

Residents and visitors bundle up beneath jeans, sweatshirts and hats to protect their bodies from the chilly conditions outside. As reptiles, sea turtles are left exposed to the elements unable to regulate their body temperatures and are at high risk of succumbing to any dramatic change in temperature. Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) and sea turtle rehabilitation facilities around the state are experiencing first hand what devastating effects the plummeting temperature is having on these already endangered sea turtles.

This crisis began January 6th, 2010, after 92 sea turtles, mostly juvenile Greens, were found at Mosquito Lagoon off of Meritt Island, Florida. These sea turtles appeared dead as their nearly frozen bodies remained motionless in a state of suspended animation. Unable to regulate their buoyancy or metabolism, these sea turtles began popping up at the surface floating like corks. The only movement made was caused by the passing waves. Thanks to rescue efforts organized through FWC these 92 sea turtles were rescued but it became apparent that the next obstacle was finding medical facilities to quickly and appropriately care for them. 12 of the 92 sea turtles rescued that day were also suffering from a virus called Fibropapilloma. This virus causes tumor like growths that leave the afflicted animal debilitated. Most sea turtles suffering from the virus succumb to eventual starvation, boat hits or shark attacks from impaired vision. As one of only three facilities in the state of Florida that can admit and treat sea turtles with Fibropapilloma, The Turtle Hospital quickly answered the call for help, despite an already full facility patient load of 50 sea turtles.

The Turtle Hospital opened its doors to these 12 cold stunned sea turtles with Fibropapilloma for treatment. All 12 sea turtles were in critical condition and required 24 hour care and monitoring. Staff immediately began heating the Emergency Room and Operating Room inside the hospital in preparation for these sea turtles. To prepare for this sudden influx of sea turtles, The Turtle Hospital rushed to acquire additional supplies such as temporary holding pools, heat lamps, extra fluids and medications. Each cold stunned sea turtle was placed in an individual pool beneath towels to begin slowly raising their core temperature. The turtles required antibiotics, warmed fluids, x-rays, blood work (which was sent to a lab for additional testing) and emergency medication to keep their hearts beating. In addition to their daily care, once strong enough, all 12 sea turtles require a surgical procedure to remove the external Fibropapilloma tumors.

Unfortunately, this is the beginning of what could turn out to be a catastrophic event for Florida’s sea turtles. After the first mass stranding on January 6th, the following day 183 sea turtles stranded in Mosquito Lagoon and 100 near the panhandle. As of January 9th, over 1,000 sea turtles have stranded state-wide. Experts believe that with the cold weather remaining over Florida throughout the next week, the number of cold stranded sea turtles could rise to nearly 1,000. In addition to the current 64 patients being treated at the facility, many more sea turtles will be admitted by the end of the cold front. Each sea turtle will require food, medication and surgical procedures, in addition to a temporary treatment tank, individual heat lamp and continual care.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit facility The Turtle Hospital relies on the generosity and compassion of the public to support its patients. There are many things people can do to help out. Admissions fees for the guided educational tours, purchases from our gift shop and online store, memberships and adoptions all directly fund The Turtle Hospital through a crisis such as this. Each purchase or donation will provide the medical care these animals desperately need. The Turtle Hospital can not do this without your continued support.

To help the cold stunned sea turtles please click the following link: Donate

UPDATE: January 11th 2010, The Turtle Hospital admitted 56 cold stunned sea turtles. Most of these sea turtles were Greens, however several were also large Loggerheads and juvenile Hawksbills. As of January 12th 2010, The Turtle Hospital had rescued 54 more. The following day, January 13th 2010 an additional 52 cold stunned sea turtles were rescued from the cold waters inside the bay.

UPDATE: January 13th 2010:

Nearly 200 Cold Stunned sea turtles have been rescued in the 3 day span. This is more than The Turtle Hospital admits in an entire year.

The Holiday show from Ireland arrived at The Turtle Hospital November 20th to film for their newest series. Ciara Whelan and Jon Slattery travel from their home in Ireland to exotic places around the world filming with locals and wildlife at each location. January 2010 will mark the beginning of their second season where Ciara and Jon came to the beautiful Florida Keys to film. One stop was of course, The Turtle Hospital. The Holiday Show spent the day filming at our facility when a small green sea turtle was brought to the emergency room by FWC biologist Sue Schaf. Holiday, as she was later named by Jon, was suffering from large external tumors caused by the Fibropapilloma virus. Upon admittance, Holiday was blind from the tumors on her eyelids and weak from being unable to feed herself.

Filming for the show concluded that day and Jon, Ciara and Tom said goodbye to staff and Holiday the sea turtle. Holiday remained at The Turtle Hospital awaiting an endoscope to see if the tumors were also growing internally. Unfortunately, at this time, internal tumors can  not be treated. An endoscope was performed on December 1st by Dr. Doug Mader (Marathon Veterinary Hospital). Happily, no internal tumors were found. Surgery was performed to remove the tumors from around her eyelids. Dr. Mader was able to successfully remove the tumors and Holiday has her sight back! A second surgery will be necessary to remove the remaining tumors along the underside of her flippers. Holiday will then remain at The Turtle Hospital for one year under observation to ensure she has no re-growths.

 Doug and Sharon took a guided educational tour at The Turtle Hospital and loved it. Doug and Sharon also love living in the keys and taking their boat out to go fishing. It was a windy day in the keys when they were out on their boat and noticed a little Loggerhead in distress. If it wasn’t for what they learned during their visit at The Turtle Hospital they may not have known that this turtle was calling out for help! Sharon-Tilly, as she was later named by her rescuers, was unable to dive. She was stuck floating at the surface of the water struggling to swim in the strong winds and currents. Doug immediately called The Turtle Hospital for help. Turtle Hospital administer Ryan Butts and FWC biologist Sue Schaf met a couple of good Samaritans, boarded a boat from a local marina, and found Doug and Sharon patiently waiting with the little Loggerhead.

Back at The Turtle Hospital, x-rays revealed that Sharon-Tilly is most likely suffering from an impaction. The trapped gas in her intestines is causing her to float helplessly. Loggerhead sea turtles are carnivores living off crab, lobster and conch for a meal. Sadly, overfishing of these crustaceans and mollusks for human consumption is leaving these Loggerheads hungry and searching for anything for a meal. Often times ingesting small hermit crabs, snails and urchins that their bodies are unable to digest. Treatment for Sharon-Tilly is Vegetable Oil added to her squid breakfast to help her pass the impaction. We expect Sharon-Tilly to make a full recovery!

UPDATE January 25th:

Sharon-Tilly continues to grow stronger everyday. Although she still floats from the impaction, she has begun slowly passing small pieces of crab and other undigested items. The Turtle Hospital would like to thank Doug and Sharon for not only rescuing this beautiful Loggerhead, but continuing to support her through her rehabilitation through donations. Thank you!

After 9 months of planning and federal permitting, the Turtle Hospital received its most long distance traveler thus far. “Anita”, a young Hawksbill sea turtle, made the arduous trek from Curacao, a small island north of Venezuela, to Marathon for medical care after being struck in the head by a Seadoo. The critically endangered turtle made history by being one of the few live marine turtles ever to fly in the passenger cabin of an airplane, thanks to a one-time exemption granted by American Airlines. Anita was found injured by teenagers in Curacao back in February 2007, and brought to the Curacao Sea Aquarium for help. She was here when Dr. Alina Szmant, Professor of Marine Biology at University of North Carolina Wilmington, who was in Curacao with her UNCW students and teaching a coral reef ecology course, began in earnest the effort to rescue Anita and find her a new home where she could get the medical help she needed.

(Dr. Szmant with Anita at Miami International Airport)

Dr. Szmant made a special trip to Curacao, complimentary of American Airlines, returning the following day to Miami International with Anita the sea turtle. There she was met by Turtle Hospital staff members and a modest crowd of travelers attempting to get a close glimpse of a sea turtle.

The Turtle Hospital would like to extend a special thank you to American Airlines for providing transport for Anita, and to Dr. Szmant for giving this young turtle a second chance at life. The ultimate goal is to rehabilitate Anita so that she can be released and eventually breed and contribute to the recovery of this endangered species.  However, if she does not recover she can still benefit her species by being an ambassador for her species in outreach and education activities.

UPDATE January 15th:

Although Anita continues to swim in circles we have seen improvements in her behavior. Every morning, for approximately 1 hour, Anita spends time in the shallow end of our 1,000 gl. saltwater swimming pool for some physical therapy. During this time, she often tries to dive to the bottom of the pool and shows interest in the other sea turtles sharing the quad with her. Anita also loves shrimp! When first admitted she was shy and uninterested in food. Now she is quite active and alert and interested in eating as much as food as we offer her! Her progress may be slow, but staff is optimistic.

The next step in Anita’s recovery will be placing a small eye patch over the left eye. Dr. Mader (Marthon Veterinary Hospital) has determined that Anita is missing at least two optical nerves in her right eye which may be contributing to her irratic behavior. In addition to the temporary eye-patch Anita will also need an MRI.

Mrs. Simpson’s fourth grade class raised money to adopt “Bender” from the Turtle Hospital for their teacher for her birthday. This is the second year that her class has raised money to adopt a sea turtle, but the first year they raised the money themselves!  The class is studying endangered animals and hopefully these bright young students can continue to raise awareness on the plight of sea turtles in the wild.

The Turtle Hospital staff would like to extend a very special thank you to Mrs. Simpson and her fourth grade class of 2009!

The Turtle Hospital recently hosted the annual Sea Turtle Workshop Weekend where people from all around the world came to Marathon to learn how to better help sea turtles survive. Individuals who work with sea turtles in the medical, rehabilitation, captive and long term care fields came together to share ideas, procedures, cases and techniques. This year, The Turtle Hospital hosted 110 attendees representing 42 different organizations from 5 different countries.

A full day of lectures and presentations were held at The Marathon Government Center where information on sea turtle medicine, rehabilitation, captive care, captive diet as well as interesting cases were discussed. These presentations allow biologists, veterinarians, professors, students and other professionals involved in the study and rehabilitation of sea turtles to learn from one another and share pertinent information. The Turtle Hospital also hosted a hands-on necropsy lab and sea turtle anatomy/physiology lab. The first lab conducted was the “Sea Turtle Proper Biopsy/Sampling Collecting” with Dr. Brian Stacy from the University of Florida. The second lab was held by Dr. Douglas Mader and Dr. Jeanette Wyneken and focused on the anatomy/physiology of sea turtles.

In addition to the workshop, Save-A-Turtle, a volunteer organization in the Keys that monitors sea turtle nesting beaches, hosted a dinner party for the attendees. After an informative day filled with presentations and labs, attendees were able to fill their stomachs with burgers, hot dogs and dessert adjacent to the sea turtle enclosure. An auction was also held to support WIDECAST, a grant program that helps train veterinarians from around the world in sea turtle medicine and care.  Many of these participating veterinarians donate their time to help conserve sea turtles in areas that offer little protection for sea turtles.

The Turtle Hospital staff would like to thank all who attended and helped make this event possible. We hope to see you again next year!

The Turtle Hospital would like to extend a special thank you to West Marine for its commitment to save endangered sea turtles in the Keys. Recently, West Marine held a fundraiser during the grand opening of their new location in Marathon and five percent of all proceeds were donated to the Turtle Hospital, a 501(c)3 non profit organization. Over $1200 was raised to help pay for food, medication, and care for the 50 sick and injured sea turtles currently residing at facility. Turtle Hospital representatives Beth Vickrey and Thea Ramsay wrapped customer holiday gifts while also educating people on the threats that sea turtles and marine wildlife face. Many sea turtles ingest or get entangled in fishing gear, and by teaching people to properly dispose of fishing line and gear, this outcome can be prevented. Sea turtles play a vital role in the Keys ecosystem and the Turtle Hospital sincerely appreciates the contribution West Marine has made to the survival of these animals.

 Joe, a 3 pound juvenile Green sea turtle was rescued December 10th. Fishermen off of the Saddlebunch Keys discovered a small sea turtle struggling to swim. Upon rescue, they realized this was because Joe only had two flippers! Once admitted to The Turtle Hospital staff determined that Joe was most likely born with only three flippers. Unfortunately for Joe, it appears as though he was most likely attacked by a predator which removed a significant portion of his left front flipper as well.

 But Joe is a survivor! Even with only two remaining flippers (both on the right side!) Joe swims very well. He is able to eat on his own and continues to show improvements in his mobility everyday! Staff will continue to monitor his progress here at the hospital.

Seasons Greetings from The Turtle Hospital! If you’re still looking for the perfect holiday gift, visit The Turtle Hospital Online Store and give the gift that gives twice! Find great items such as unique jewelry, Turtle Hospital t-shirts & hoodies, books and so much more! You can also adopt a sea turtle, donate or become a Member and join our Turtle Hospital family this season! What’s best is that 100% of the proceeds of each gift will directly benefit our sea turtles. The Turtle Hospital is a non-profit organization funded by the generosity and compassion of people like you. Truly, none of this could be done without your continued support.

So this year do some shopping here, because giving two times is twice as nice!

Click here to start shopping:    http://turtlehospitalstore.com/

Adopt A Sea Turtle:  http://turtlehospitalstore.com/adoptions.html

Donate:  http://turtlehospitalstore.com/donations.html

 Become A Member: http://turtlehospitalstore.com/memberships.html

Thank you for joining us in our efforts to ensure the survival of these beautiful endangered sea turtles. As 2009 comes to a close, we want to thank each of you who helped support us throughout the year. We wish all of our friends Happy Holidays and the very best in the New Year. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Happy Holidays,

Turtle Hospital Staff

 Charter Boat Captain Steve of The Galloping Ghost in Key West is a true Sea Turtle Rescuer! On Saturday, November 21st Steve was out flats fishing with a client when he noticed a small turtle floating by. He was able to reach out and pull the tired and weak turtle on his boat. This was the first time he would ever rescue a sea turtle in distress but not the last! Turtle Hospital staff met Steve on Stock Island to pick up the small turtle he named Melissa, after his wife. Melissa is suffering from Fibropapilloma, a virus that causes tumor-like growths on sea turtles. Amazingly, only a few short days later on November 23rd, he was out fishing again and brought in a very big catch! A 210 pound adult Loggerhead sea turtle!

Named Stevie, this adult male Loggerhead sea turtle appears to have a shell infection. Stevie was so large that it took a fork lift to move him from the boat to The Turtle Hospital ambulance! Back at The Turtle Hospital, Stevie is being treated with antibiotics as well as a topical anti-biotic to prevent further damage from the infection. We expect a full recovery from Stevie. Melissa, the first turtle rescued, is awaiting an endoscope to check for internal tumors. As long as Melissa has no internal tumors, staff from The Marathon Veterinary Hospital will remove her external tumors. She will then remain here at the hospital for one year under observation to ensure she has no re-growths.

Stevie the Loggerhead, Melissa the Green and The Turtle Hospital Staff would like to extend a special Thank You to Captain Steve for saving the life of not just one but two endangered sea turtles!

UPDATE December 10th:

Good news! Melissa has no internal tumors! Surgery will be scheduled to remove the external tumors. Stevie also continues to show improvement but is being treated with antibiotics to continue fighting the infection.

 The Turtle Hospital would like to extend a special thank you to The Kinder Porter Scott Family Foundation for their generous donation. The Kinder Porter Scott Family Foundation is a small family foundation that began 40 years ago. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska they are funded solely through family investments. Each year, the family members choose a non-profit facility to donate to, usually related to helping children, animals and schools. This last October, after seeing a story about a sea turtle named Kincaid on Fox News, Jean Jennings recommended The Turtle Hospital as the recipient of their generous donation. In memory of Katherine Anne (Kit Scott) the Scott Family came to Marathon to tour The Turtle Hospital. William, Tracy, Riley and Avery arrived to personally represent their foundation, make a donation and meet the sea turtles they were helping. As with each donation, this contribution will have a direct impact on our current 49 patients by helping us provide all the food and medication they need. We want to thank The Kinder Porter Scott Family Foundation for helping us save these endangered sea turtles! We could not do it without you! Thank you!

Wilma, a 187 pound female Loggerhead, was rescued on October 25th the 4 year anniversary of Hurricane Wilma. Wilma had obviously been in some trouble before, her carapace has two old prop scars and she is missing the tip of her right front flipper. However Wilma was rescued on Long Key, found entangled in fishing line. This is the second turtle we have recently rescued from this area suffering from a monofiliment fishing line entanglement. Unfortunetly, just like Cassandra (the previous rescue here) she has also ingested several fishing hooks. The Turtle Hospital and The Outdoor Resort are teaming up to alert the public to the dangers of discarded fishing gear by posting educational signage around the area. We hope this will help to ensure the safety of sea turtle in this area.

 This year Bahia Honda State Park had the pleasure of monitoring the only documented Hawksbill sea turtle nest in the state of Florida! The first documented Hawksbill nest at Bahia Honda occurred in 2000. These turtles, once hunted for their beautiful shells, are a critically endangered species. On August 18th a female Hawksbill chose a small patch of sand behind a mangrove, very close to the parking lot and on the most populated section of beach to nest! The park rangers built a special pathway so that when the nest hatched the babies would be guided towards the ocean and away from the parking lot. 54 days later on a beautiful Sunday afternoon the first of these hatchlings began to emerge! There was much excitement as visitors and park rangers gathered to witness this amazing and unusual day hatchling. Although hatchlings typically emerge at night, occasionally a few will emerge during the day. Over the next couple of days, approximately 70 hatchlings emerged from the nest. A few weak turtles were found at the bottom of the nest and brought to The Turtle Hospital for monitoring. On October 30th, a second nest emerged and 17 more Hawksbill hatchlings were brought in. These baby turtles will stay at the hospital until they are healthy and eating before being released back into the ocean.

(Pictured above: Green hatchling on the left, Hawksbill on the right)

 In addition to the Hawksbill nests, Bahia Honda State Park became the nesting ground for a female Green sea turtle. This was the first documented Green sea turtle nest at Bahia Honda and only the second Green sea turtle nest documented on the main line Florida Keys. During the week of October 12th, the nest hatched and all but two babies emerged and made it to the ocean. These two turtles spent two short weeks at The Turtle Hospital before they were ready to go home! On October 26th, staff released the hatchlings offshore of Marathon into the Sargassum Weedline.

Westy, a local Key West resident, races Paddleboards and for the 2nd year in a row, he’s racing for Sea Turtles! Westy entered the 22 mile C to C Paddleboard race off of Coco Beach Florida. He collected donations from family, friends and businesses in an effort to help The Turtle Hospital. On November 1st, he met with Turtle Hospital staff and Director Richie Moretti to donate more than $1,000! We would like to extend a special thank you to Westy for continuing his support of our efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and release these amazing endangered Sea Turtles. We would also like to thank the donors including Key West Paddleboard Classics Inc, Fury Watersports and the friends and family of Westy who contributed to his cause. Thank you!

On May 28^th, a Loggerhead sea turtle named Wham was custom fit with a satellite tag to record her migration route through the Caribbean. She was tagged by Mote Marine Laboratory and released off of Casey Key, just off Sarasota. Fortunately the turtle had already laid six nests this season, and she was probably in route back to her feeding grounds. The 200 pound adult turtle slowly worked her way towards and around the Dry Tortugas and to Cuba, where she was likely feasting on Conch and Crab. Approximately one week ago scientists from Mote Marine noticed that Wham was taking a strange route back to the Dry Tortugas, while all the other turtles that were tagged were heading towards Mexico.

Image Courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory

On Monday, Dry Tortugas National Park employees discovered Wham and realized she was in distress. The turtle appeared to have been attacked by a shark, the only oceangoing predator of an adult sea turtle. Wham was missing most of her right flipper, and approximately 6” of her left flipper. There were numerous other lacerations where the shark was able to get his teeth into the turtle. Park employees diligently brought the sea turtle up on shore and stabilized her until she could be brought into Key West on the Fast Cat and admitted The Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

Wham is now receiving antibiotics, squid breakfasts, and TLC at The Turtle Hospital and a full recovery is expected.Wham is also receiving notoriety in our local papers.

To read more on Wham’s story published in the Keynoter click here: http://www.keysnet.com/news/story/135066.html

To read more on Wham’s story published in the Citizen click here:  http://keysnews.com/node/16390

*UPDATE September 7th 2009:

Wham underwent surgery on September 1^st to amputate what remained of her severely damaged right front flipper. Dr. Mader (Marathon Veterinary Hospital) performed the surgery, assisted by Director Richie Moretti and Hospital Administrator Ryan Butts.  Wham is recovering well in her treatment pool and receiving all the TLC she needs. Antibiotics are administered to prevent infection and her injuries and surgical site are tended to daily. We expect a full recovery from Wham, and a successful release in the future!

UPDATE: November 4th 2009:

Wham is ready for release! The amputation of her right front flipper has healed and Wham is antsy to prove she’s ready to go home! Wham will be released on Tuesday, November 10th at The Dry Tortugas National Park where she was rescued. Wham will return back to The Tortugas on board the Yankee Freedom, a large ferry boat from Key West that makes daily trips out to The Tortugas. As an added excitment to her release, Wham’s satellite transmitter is still operational, and Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota should be able to continue tracking her as soon as she hits the water!

UPDATE November 14th 2009:

Wham was released November 14th at The Dry Tortugas National Park. After only a few short months of rehabilitation, Wham was driven to Key West where she boarded the Yankee Freedom, a ferry boat from Key West, to return to the Dry Tortugas where she was rescued. Turtle Hospital Director Richie Moretti, Rehabilitation Specialist Andy Dobrowolski, Helicopter Pilot Guy Favart (Air Man Helicopter) and Tom True (EV Parts) released Wham off the beach at Garden Key. With many well-wishers from the Park Employee’s and visitors crowding the beach to say goodbye, she was carried to the water and released back into the ocean. Despite the amputation, she swam in a straight line as soon as she hit the water, not looking back! Wham was more than ready to go home. http://www.seaturtle.org

Wham’s satellite transmitter is still functional and the public can continue to view her track here: http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=94922&dyn=1258753431

Photo Courtesy of Kayla Nimmo (Biologist Technician Dry Tortugas National Park)

A good Samaritan fisherman was in the American Shoals area (offshore from Cudjoe Key) when he saw a turtle towing several floats and struggling to dive. The FWC was notified and Sue Schaf (sea turtle biologist) coordinated a rescue effort.

A FWC officer picked up the rescue team at a marina and headed out to the area where the turtle was last seen. With help from the fisherman, the turtle was located, netted and brought aboard the FWC boat where the net and lines were removed.

The 230 pound adult Green was tightly entangled in a drift net, two lobster trap lines / floats and a 6 foot piece of bamboo. The net had cut into the marginal scutes and the bases of the front flippers.

Mitchell (the turtle, named for it’s rescuer) was transported to the Turtle Hospital where it will receive wound care and antibiotics.

UPDATE  November 7th:

Mitchell was released November 6th! The Turtle Hospital holds an annual Sea Turtle Workshop at our facility in Marathon Florida. More than 100 biologists, veterinarians, students and specialists attended this year.  In addition to hosting lectures and labs, on the eve of the final day of the conference Dr. Stacy and Dr. Ellis assisted Turtle Hospital administrator Ryan Butts and Rehabilitation Specialist Andy Dobrowolski in returning Mitchell back into his ocean home.

See The Turtle Hospital and the Florida Keys as you’d never imagined! You can now view The Turtle Hospital in high resolution 360 degrees!

“Florida Keys 360, Inc. shares with you our Florida Keys home as if you were here with us. Experience the coral reefs of the Florida Keys as if you were actually snorkeling or scuba diving with us in our clear warm tropical waters. Fly down the Florida Keys Highway US1 from Key Largo to Key West as if you were one of our local pelicans. Spend some time on our tropical Florida Keys beaches and live some our our unique one-of-a kind Florida Keys events as if you were right in the middle of the scene. Whether you fly, drive or arrive by boat, you will see Key Largo, Islamorada, Tavernier, Marathon, Big Pine and Key West as you have never seen them before. Welcome to our Florida Keys, and enjoy our world. This site is active and growing fast. Within the next several weeks aerial images of the entire Keys from Key Largo to Key West will be up, and new underwater locations are being added every few days. So check back every week and enjoy the Florida Keys”

To view The Turtle Hospital via Florida Keys 360 please follow this link: http://fla-keys360.com/do/48/turtle/hospital.html

Operating Room:  www.fla-keys360.com/do/48/turtle/surgery.html

Education Center:  www.fla-keys360.com/do/48/turtle/education.html

Rehab Area:   www.fla-keys360.com/do/48/turtle/rehab.html

Update June 21st, 2009:

Sandy has been examined by Dr. Mader (Marathon Veterinary Hospital) and he has given her the okay for release! Sandy is able to use her remaining three flippers and is now a very strong swimmer. She will even be able to continue nesting once released! When a female sea turtle pulls herself onto the beach she leaves “tracks” (which look similar to tire tracks.) One sided or one flipper tracks have been documented. Since Sandy is a full grown adult female Hawksbill, we look forward to releasing her soon so she can continue to bring new hatchlings into the world!

UPDATE October 25th:

SANDY IS BEING RELEASED!

Sandy is flying back to St. Criox, courtesy of American Airlines, on Tuesday October 27th. Sandy will be released from the same beach she was rescued on, one year ago. This will be a momentous occasion for not only Sandy, but for The Turtle Hospital as well. Sandy has had a long rehabilitation here and nothing can compare to the excitement of sending her home!

UPDATE October 31st:

Sandy was released October 28th from Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. Sandy’s journey has been long, remaining at The Turtle Hospital for almost a year recovering from the dog attack, but it ended with cheers, smiles and a few tears of joy! The Turtle Hospital would like to extend a special thank you to American Airlines for giving Sandy a ride home! American Airlines was able to provide Sandy and Turtle Hospital Director Richie Moretti and Administrator Ryan Butts free airfare to St. Croix to give us the ability to complete her journey home. This is the furthest we’ve ever traveled from our facility in The Florida Keys to release a sea turtle. USDA wildlife services biologist Toby Hairston, St. Croix Educational Complex student Mohammed Misbeh and Dan Raymond assisted in the release. Hundreds of well-wishers also gathered at the beach to wish her farewell. We would sincerely like to thank everyone who made this event possible

For more on her release in the Virgin Islands newspaper please follow this link:  http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17640710