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!

UPDATE February 19th 2010:

Sharon-Tilly is able to dive under water and is less buoyant at the surface. She is awaiting an x-ray to confirm that the impaction has passed. Once staff is certain that the impaction has passed, Sharon-Tilly will be released!

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.