A juvenile Green sea turtle, named Squirt by her rescuers, was found floating off shore. The little sea turtle was struggling to dive and floating sideways at the surface. Back at The Turtle Hospital an x-ray was performed and it was determined that the little turtle had a lot of gas!
Gas builds up in the intestines from sea turtles suffering from impactions which causes them to float. Treatment for little squirt will include a laxative added to her breakfast and Beano added to her lunch. It takes time for impactions to pass but once it has, Squirt can go back to her ocean home!
UPDATE 09/01/2010
Squirt has begun passing and absorbing some of the trapped gas which is causing her to float. However she has yet to pass any fecal matter. Severe impactions can take several months to completely pass. As staff keeps a close eye on little Squirt, she spends the day exercising in the shallow end of the pool. Hopefully the added activity will encourage a bowel movement.
Brandy II, a 160 pound female Loggerhead, was rescued from Fort Zachary Beach in Key West. She was on the beach nesting when bright lights left her disoriented. She remained on the beach until the early morning where she was spotted confused in the sand. Luckily Brandy II had already successfully nested that evening. After a brief observation period at the hospital Brandy II was released on the same beach she was rescued on only a few days later. Hundreds of onlookers stopped by to wish her well and show her support.
Female sea turtles nest every 2-3 years and often lay 4-10 clutches of eggs every season. Hopefully this nest won’t be Brandy’s last this season!
Duncan, a 70 pound adult male Hawksbill, was rescued June 20th 2010. Duncan was found listlessly floating and unresponsive by concerned good Samaritans who called The Turtle Hospital for help. Hawksbill sea turtles are a critically endangered species and adults are not commonly seen off the Florida Keys. At 70 pounds, Duncan is severely underweight and staff estimates that he should weigh 100 pounds. Hawksbill sea turtles average 100-150 pounds when fully grown.
Back at The Turtle Hospital staff performed an x-ray on Duncan which revealed a severe impaction. Sea turtles often ingest foreign objects such as plastics which become lodged in the intestines. Since Duncan was unable to pass any waste, built up gas in the intestines had left him floating and unable to dive to find food. Duncan is currently in critical condition and being tube fed a small amount of squid with fiber pills added to help him pass the blockage and gain weight.
UPDATE August 13th 2010:
Sadly, Duncan has passed. After two months of treatment he continued to remain unstable despite staff’s best efforts. The impaction was so severe and Duncan was so emaciated that he could not survive his injuries. A necropsy will be performed to confirm cause of death.
Wilma, a nearly 200 pound adult female Loggerhead, has been at The Turtle Hospital for 9 long months after being rescued October 25th 2009. Wilma had been found wrapped in fishing line and had sadly ingested multiple j-hooks which were now lodged in her intestinal track. Turtle Hospital staff assisted Wilma in passing the hooks by adding vegetable oil to her diet which acts as a safe and natural laxatives. Once the hooks reached the lower intestines staff volunteer veterinarian Dr. Doug Mader suggested surgery to remove the foreign hooks.
The difficult procedure was performed on July 13th by Dr. Mader, and assisted by intern Jason and Turtle Hospital director Richie Moretti and administrator Ryan Butts. Dr. Mader was able to remove the portion of the intestines which contained the hooks through a small incision in the soft tissue under her rear flipper. Surprisingly, in addition to two fully intact j-hooks, 3 feet of monofilament fishing line was also removed during the surgery!
Wilma is currently back in her tank recovering and will be released back into her ocean home soon!
UPDATE July 31st:
Wilma grows stronger everyday and is happily eating offered squid. Her surgical site continue to heal nicely and staff is optimistic that she should be returning home in a few short weeks!
On Friday, July 16th 2010, Sunset Grille & Raw Bar and Captain Hook’s Marina & Dive Center are going to host the Third Annual Chicken Wing Eating Tournament. This spectacle is a race against the clock to see what team can mow down chicken wings, sliders and beer in the shortest amount of time.
The format will consist of each team having four contestants, two of them must be over the age of 21. Each team will attempt to polish off 75 chicken wings, 15 sliders and 2 pitchers of beer. The winner is determined by the team that devours everything in the least amount of time.
The last two years have been extremely successful for this tournament. Since the inception of the Chicken Wing Eating Tournament idea in 2008, there have been 15 and 18 teams that have entered. Between the two years, the tournament raised about $2,800 for The Turtle Hospital, located at 2396 Overseas Highway in Marathon, Florida.
To enter the competition, please contact Ryan@captainhooks.com or call 305-743-2444
The Turtle Hospital would like to sincerely thank those who participated in the past and look forward to seeing you again at this years event. Even if you’re not ready to compete you can always come and enjoy the festivities! This years event will include a DJ contest, live music and more! We hope to see you soon!