On July 31st, Jim Bell of the Key Deer Refuge Center received a very special delivery! No, that’s not his lunch he’s holding, it’s a hatchling loggerhead found in a canal at Dr’s Arm on Big Pine Key. When the hatchlings are born they hit they water and swim for it…the Gulf Stream that is. Often as far as 20miles offshore, the Gulf Stream carries Sargassum weedlines (these babies homes) off into open ocean. This is where green and loggerhead hatchlings will spend the next several years, camouflaged from predators inside this floating Sargassum. However, stormy conditions can often push these tiny sea turtles back inshore instead of offshore where they are left exposed inside canals or back on the beach. Luckily, a good Samaritan noticed the hatchling floating in his canal and dropped him off to Jim. Jim called The Turtle Hospital and this little loggerhead is happily spending the next few days safe in a tank with a handful of other hatchlings. These hatchlings will be fed teeny tiny chopped up squid tentacles and be given a free ride out to The Gulf Stream to be placed in the Sargassum.

The Today Show filmed in Key West On Tuesday, July 28th. Turtle Hospital staff was there to introduce Matt Lauer and Al Roker to a special guest. Hospital administrator Ryan Butts and director Richie Moretti drove Iain, a loggerhead sea turtle, down to Key West via Turtle Hospital ambulance for his 15 minutes of fame. Iain is scheduled for release, but he needed to make a quick stop on his trip home to meet The Today Show hosts.

To watch Iain on The Today Show please follow this link:  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32184552#32184552

Ahh……summertime in the keys! The crystal clear waters and 90+ degree weather send locals and tourists alike looking for an escape to the ocean. The Florida Keys are home to an array of uninhabited islands, sandbars, coral reefs and hot fishing spots attracting all different kinds of boater enthusiasts. More people on the water, leads to more phone calls reporting sick and injured sea turtles to The Hospital. However more boats on the water, means an increase in hull and propeller strikes. Sea turtles can swim at bursts of speeds up to 25 miles per hour, but are often no match for the oncoming boat. Sick and injured sea turtles float and are unable to dive down to escape an imminent boat hit.

A sea turtles spine and ribs are fused to the shell. It is a living part of their body that grows, sheds and bleeds. A propeller can quite easily cut through the shell often severing or damaging the spine causing death or paralysis. If this doesn’t occur, the sea turtle will probably become a bubble butt. Bubble Butt Syndrome is caused by a boat hit, while the turtle is breathing in air. The sudden shock and impact of (usually the hull) the boat slamming down on their shell somehow forces the air out of their lungs into their body cavity. This air is permanently trapped inside the body cavity. Over time the shell distorts and a bubble forms on their “butt”, but it also causes these sea turtles to float….permanently. If a sea turtle floats they can not dive for food, escape predators or boat hits and at this time there is no cure for this syndrome. Often times, sea turtles who survive boat hits spend the rest of their lives at the hospital.

When boating remember to always follow channel markers. Cutting through shallow areas like sea grass beds is detrimental to this delicate environment as well as your boat! Sea grass beds are protected, and unlike the grass on your lawn, sea grass takes years to fully regrow. Green sea turtles are herbivores, typically spending much of their time feeding in these shallow areas, leaving them more susceptible to boat hits. Besides, you don’t want to ruin your prop or bottom paint by running aground!

Remember, sea turtles have to come to the surface to breathe so when boating keep your eyes open and stay alert. Following the speed limit is a great way to ensure you’re able to spot a sea turtle before ending up on top of him.

Sadly The Turtle Hospital has received reports of dead or injured sea turtles almost everyday during the past two weeks. Most of these were boat strikes. If you do see an injured or floating turtle, please call FWC at 1-888-404-FWCC. Reporting injured turtles is the only way we can rescue them. We do not patrol, we rely on YOU to know what to look for and call us.

Have a fun and SAFE summer!

For the last week The Turtle Hospital has been working closely with FWC to help an injured whale shark. It had been reported that a juvenile whale shark was in the vicinity of the Vaca Cut bridge, a very busy channel between the Gulf and Atlantic. Strong currents were bringing in a surplus of plankton and jellyfish, the favorite food of these gentle giants. While in the area, probably feeding, monofilament fishing line had become entangled around the whale sharks tail. This fishing line, over time, could cut deeply into the tail. Lack of circulation could eventually lead to amputation. Without this massive tail, the whale shark could not swim. In addition to the fishing line entanglement, the whale shark had reportedly been hit by a boat. The murky water inside the cut would make it difficult to see the whale shark, even at 20 feet long.

Finally….the call came in that Turtle Hospital Administrator Ryan Butts was waiting for!

Chase Grimes spotted the whale shark on Wednesday July 15th and immediately called Ryan. Ryan jumped into the Turtle Hospital ambulance, picking up Dr. Doug Mader (Marathon Veterinary Hospital) on the way. Chase brought the team out to where he had spotted the whale shark and dropped Ryan and Dr. Mader off in the murky water in front of the shark. The strong currents pushed both men back towards the blur of white spots, in an attempt to grab onto his tail and remove the fishing line. With one stroke of his giant tail, the whale shark easily shook the two men off. Chase, Ryan and Dr. Mader jumped in ahead of the whale shark again and this time? Success! Dr. Mader was able to successfully hold on to his tail and free him from several feet of monofilament fishing line.

Although we hope the injured animal will now leave the busy area, if you happen to see the whale shark please resist the urge to jump in and swim with him. These are gentle animals, but they are giants. Whale Sharks are an endangered species, and it is better for the animals health and safety to admire it from a far.

To read more about the whale shark encounter in the Marathon Weekly Newspaper click the following link:  http://www.keysweekly.com/news_articles/view/mission_remove_fishing_line/

To read more about the whale shark in The Key West Citizen click the following link:  http://keysnews.com/node/15275

Karl, a 211 pound adult male Loggerhead was rescued on July 13th off Bahia Honda State Park. His rescuers (pictured above) noticed Karl was floating and immediately called The Turtle Hospital. With some amount of difficulty, Karl was safely netted and brought on board their boat. Karl was injured by a propeller which cut across the top of his head directly above his left eye. The beautiful crystal clear waters and warm weather in the keys brings out many boaters in the summertime, resulting in an increase in reports of sea turtles injured by boat hits.

Back in the Emergency Room inside the Hospital Karl’s eye was inspected by Dr. Doug Mader (Marathon Veterinary Hospital). Although the injury is deep, and his salt gland exposed, we believe he will be able to use the injured eye. Karl is active, alert and his left eye is still responsive. Karl was given x-rays and it was determined that he is impacted with gravel and shells. Loggerhead sea turtles are carnivores and are rapidly loosing their major food sources. Lobster, crab and conch are what they prefer to dine on….and so do we! This leaves these massive turtles no choice but to snack on smaller crustaceans such as hermit crabs and snails, however they can not digest the shells. Once impacted with shells and waste, gas builds up inside the turtle leaving them floating, stuck at the surface. Because of this impaction, Karl was probably unable to dive down and escape the oncoming boat.

Karl is currently on antibiotics to prevent infection and his injury is tended to daily. We believe he will make a full recovery!

On July 11^th an entangled Whale Shark was reported in Vaca Cut. The Whale Shark has been seen hanging in this area for the past several days and onlookers believe it has been hit by a boat and possibly entangled in fishing line. Whale Sharks are the world’s largest fish and usually found in the open ocean. Although they are plankton eaters they have very powerful tails that could prove dangerous should you attempt to swim with them. Please remember that this animal is possibly injured and scared. If you see the Whale Shark please call Fish and Wildlife at 1-888-404-FWCC.

On July 7th, 2009 Dr. Doug Mader (Marathon Veterinary Hospital) performed 3 different surgeries on 3 different turtles. First up was Iain. Iain is a sub-adult loggerhead with Fibropapilloma. It is uncommon for loggerhead sea turtles to develop Fibropapilloma, although it has been documented. Dr. Mader did a biopsy of Iain’s tumor to confirm it is FP.

Fin, a juvenile green sea turtle had her remaining Fibropapilloma tumors removed. Fin not only had tumors, but she had also been hit by a boat…right between the eyes! Now that her head injury is completely healed, the tumors were ready for removal. Fin’s tenative release date is 7/7/2010 as long as she has no re-growths.

Rockie Thyme was the last patient for Dr. Mader. Rockie is a sub-adult green sea turtle transfered to us from Brevard County, FL because of these tumors. An endoscope showed no internal tumors on her organs so the small external tumors were removed from under her flipper. Rockie Thyme is doing well but may not be released in a year. She also has a propeller injury to her shell, and may be a bubble-butt. At this time there is no cure for bubble-butt syndrome which causes the afflicted turtles to float permanently.

Thank you Dr. Mader for donating your time for these surgeries, and to the Associated Press for documenting the procedure!

The Turtle Hospital would like to thank Michelle Bay and the Richard Stockton College Marine Science Club for their generous donation!

Every year, the Richard Stockton College Marine Science Club in New Jersey holds a fundraiser for the Turtle Hospital. This year the club raised a total of $202 selling “turtle trinkets.”

Fellow students and faculty purchased sea turtle pens, paperweights, necklaces and other “swag” with all proceeds benefiting The Turtle Hospital.

The Turtle Hospital would like to extend a warm thank you to all members of the club who helped make this donation possible and for continuing to think of new and creative ways to help support us throughout the years. THANK YOU!

Iain is a sub adult Loggerhead sea turtle who came to The Turtle Hospital on June 26th 2009. Iain was captured during a Florida Bay Research Project. For research purposes healthy turtles are captured, the species of the sea turtle is noted, their shell length is measured and they are weighed. Researchers often take blood samples or flush out their stomachs to see what they have eaten. These turtles are then tagged and released for future identification.

However, Iain had a small Fibropapilloma tumor growing underneath his left flipper. Fibropapilloma is typically found in green sea turtles, but this virus is now found on all species of sea turtle. Because of this tumor, Iain was brought to The Turtle Hospital for treatment.

Iain received surgery on July 7^th 2009 to remove the Fibropapilloma tumors. Pictured above is Dr. Doug Mader (Marathon Veterinary Hospital) surgically removing the tumors with a CO2 laser scalpel. Iain is currently recovering well in his tank. Iain will remain at The Hospital for the next year under observation to ensure there are no re-growths. This gives Turtle Hospital staff a great opportunity to further study the affects of Fibropapilloma on a different species of sea turtle.   

The Turtle Hospital received a very generous donation on July 3rd, from Milton and Tara Behren and would like to say THANK YOU!

Milton Behrens, from Pompano Beach Florida rides his bike for charity. He entered the Sebring 12/24 endurance ride for charity but decided to do his own fundraiser for The Turtle Hospital. Friends and buinsesses placed side “bets” on how far or how long Milton could bike. Each “bet” was actually being placed to donate to The Turtle Hopsital.

Milton Behrens began his ride smoothly, however he crashed 67 miles into the race. The finish line was 46 miles away. If Milton did not finish, the money for The Turtle Hospital would be lost. Injured, Milton’s strength, endurance and determination pushed him to finish the race and raise $1,500 for The Turtle Hospital.

The Hosptial staff would like to extend an extra special thank you to Milton and Tara Behrens for their generocity and compassion. This donation will have a direct impact on the conservation of sea turtles by helping to feed, medicate and care for our current 41 patients.

Obama, an adult female Loggerhead, was released on the 4^th of July!

Aptly named by her rescuers, Obama was rescued on January 19^th 2009 on the eve of President Obama’s inauguration. Turns out, our Obama was suffering from a severe intestinal impaction. She received some extra squid in her diet that was soaked with vegetable oil, a natural laxative! After 5 months of treatment, she was ready for release, and what better time than during the celebration of our country’s Independence?

Obama was released on the 4^th of July from Higgs Beach in Key West, not far from where she was found. Her release was public, and more than 100 people attended to watch her return to her ocean home. With some difficulty (she weighed over 200lbs!), Obama was placed on the sand near the surf. With the ocean in plain sight, she quickly lifted her body, and swam away with all the energy she had. We say goodbye to Obama and we hope she has a long and healthy life.

Click here to watch her release live thanks to our friends at Digital Island Media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WQz6K5ZaI8

Or click here to read the article from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2009-07-04-turtle_N.htm

Quickly growing to the hottest food eating competition in the country, Captain Hook’s Marina and Dive Center held their 2^nd annual Wing Eating Tournament/Fundraiser at Chappy’s Restaurant in Marathon on June 27^th.

Fifteen teams took part in the challenge to devour 75 wings, 15 sliders, and 2 pitchers of beer, some with bigger appetites and ambitions than others. A record time was set by the FAU offensive line team, coming in just over 7 minutes while other teams, such as The Island Restaurant and Tiki Bar team, scored for the fastest team member to “lose his lunch”. The event was a huge success and a great time was had by all that attended. Over $1900.00 was raised, and all proceeds went to benefit The Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

The Turtle Hospital would like to express their most sincere gratitude to Captain Hooks Marina with an extra special thanks to employees Ryan Schrassenberger and Elisa Davies, whom organized the event. Chappy’s Steak and Seafood generously donated not only their waterfront property, but all food for the competition. The Turtle Hospital would also like to thank Collector’s Corner, Winn Dixie, Key Custom Rod, and Gold Coast for their generous contributions.