The Turtle Hospital. Rescue, Rehab, Release.

Current Patients

Below is a list of current sea turtle patients undergoing rehabilitation at The Turtle Hospital..

Last Updated 11/9/14

Hatchlings: Currently 1 loggerhead who will replace Zippy when he is released next summer

hatchling-e.jpghawksbill hatchling

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Playin’ Hard:  150 lb loggerhead found floating off Lower Matecumbe Key on 10/18/2014.  Suffering from an impaction of crab and shells

*Has passed impaction and is anticipated to be released within the coming weeks!

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Crush:  40 lb subadult green.  Found floating offshore of Marathon, FL on 10/3/2014

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*Trip to the eye dr to have tumors removed off eyes.  May or may not have vision

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Patti: 110lbs Adult Loggerhead. Found floating and weak in Key Largo, FL on 8/13/14.

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*Patti is now in water all day long!  Her pneumonia has subsided and her eye ulcers have healed over.  She is currently still struggling with her lock jaw but is showing greater improvements every day.  She is receiving what is called TPN or total parental nutrition through an IV daily to give her body the electrolytes and nutrition her body needs to fight the infection.  She is also being placement fed squid and fish daily and is slowly starting to chew and swallow her food on her own.

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Levi:  20 lb Juvenile Green.  Found floating in Marathon on 8/7/2014.  Was entangled in crab trap line and has FP tumors.

*Had eye extracted on 11/6/2014.  Tumor free as of then!

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Kimian: 20 lbs Juvenile Green. Found nearly drowning and entangled in fishing line on 7/31/14 near Cudjoe Key. Also has Fibropapilloma tumors.

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*Has received four surgeries now in attempts to get tumor free.

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Hope: 32 lbs Juvenile Green. Found entangled in fishing line and heavily covered in Fibropapilloma tumors in Key Largo on 7/30/14.

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*Has gone through four surgeries and is on her way to being tumor free.

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Dirk: 15lbs Juvenile Female Green. Found floating in Broward County and transferred to The Turtle Hospital for treatment on 7/23/14.

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*Had eye extracted in October but is still able to be released with one fully functional eye.  Tumor free as of 10/24/2014!

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Dorothy: 100lbs Sub Adult Loggerhead. Found floating and unable to dive on 7/9/14 in Marathon.

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Dorothy's rescuer visits hospital

*Seems to be suffering from diabetes and receives daily insulin shots to monitor glucose levels.  Very active and fiesty otherwise!

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Dale: 20lbs Juvenile Green. Snagged in fishing line by fisherman in a backyard canal in Marathon, FL on 5/15/14. When turtle was brought to shore it was found to be heavily afflicted with Fibropapilloma tumors and was brought in for treatment.

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*Received surgery on 5/22/14 to remove tumors from both eyes and side of head. Recovering well. Tumor Free!

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Baba: Juvenile Green.  Found floating in Florida Bay off of Marathon 5/6/2014.  Front flippers and head entangled in monofilament fishing line.  FP tumors.

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*Lots of swelling in left front flipper.  Receiving Epsom salt baths and physical therapy to try to get blood flow back into flippers. Surgery on 5/22/14 removed tumors from eyes. Surgery on 6/5/14 removed all of FP tumors! Will wait out year long period to monitor for regrowths until release.

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Ben:  29 lb juvenile Green.  Found floating off of Sugarloaf Key on 4/23/14.  Stomach and intestinal impaction and gas.  FP tumors present.

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*Free of her intestinal blockage and tumors! Release in June 2015.

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Mocho:  Post hatchling Hawksbill.  Found floating in Stock Island on 4/7/14.  Missing left front flipper and lethargic

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*Growing fast! Release in summer 2014.

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Chase: 6 lbs Juvenile Green. Transferred on 3/4/14 from the Volusia Marine Science Center for Fibropapilloma treatment.

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*Received endoscope on 3/18/14.  Tumor free internally and Chase is a girl!  Tumor free as of 4/10/14!!!!

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Pe’e: 50 lbs Juvenile Green. Found floating with a heavy load of Fibropapilloma tumors off of Grassy Key on 2/12/14.

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*Sugery on 3/6/14 by Dr. Karpinski removed tumors from eyes! Pe’e can now see!!  Surgery on 3/18/14 to remove large tumor from neck.  Tumor free as of 4/17/14!!!

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Chris: 7 lbs Juvenile female Green with FP tumors. Found floating off of Big Pine Key on 12/7/13.

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*First surgery done on 1/8 and second on 1/13 to remove FP tumors. Surgery on 1/16 at Pinecrest Vet. Hospital for surgery on eye tumors made her tumor free! Will stay with us for 1 year to make sure tumors don’t regrow, then she will be released!

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Emerald: 13 lb. Green. Found floating in surf with FP tumors in the Key West Nature Preserve on 11/2/13.

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*Surgery on 1/8 to remove tumors along flippers.  Surgery on 1/16 at Pinecrest Vet. Hospital to remove tumors from eyes to become tumor free! Will stay with us for 1 year to monitor for regrowths before being released.
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Ron: 10 lb. Green. Netted at a coral reef due to the heavy load of FP tumors including both eyes. Found offshore of Summerland Key, FL on 10/1/13.

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*Tumor free! Release in December 2014.

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Moses: 14 lb. juvenile Green. 6 inch split in shell from a boat hit. Arrived 9/14/13 from Islamorada, FL.

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*Moved to rehab tank after being dry docked for 11 days. Split in shell stabilized with steel plates. Active and eating on own. Had surgery to remove all of her FP tumors too!  On 1/6, plates were removed revealing a stabilized shell.  Moses is now enjoying more room in Quad 1 with his other turtle friends.
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Elena: 40 lb. subadult Green.  Boat strike victim, large fractures on right side of carapace and small fractures on head.  Also has some small FP tumors.  Arrived 8/11/13.

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Fred Troxel, Bette ZirkelbachDCIM100GOPRO

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*Elena is in almost a full tank of water! Active and loves lettuce. She wouldn’t move, eat, or dive under the surface for the first month of treatment. Dr. Troxel in on 9/11 to apply steel plating to stabilize shell fracture. Surgery on 10/29 removed her FP tumors and is now tumor free! Steel plates removed on 1/12 and fracture is now stable.

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Zippy:  2 lb. juvenile Loggerhead.  Acquired from Gumbo Limbo Science Center in Boca Raton, FL on 7/28/13.  Perfectly healthy and is the new educational ambassador here at the Turtle Hospital.  Also a participant in a hatchling sex ratio research study through Florida Atlantic University.  Will be with us until he reaches 42 cm in shell length and will then be released.

*Continues to be a feisty ambassador for his species educating school children throughout the Keys.
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Jack: 5 lb. Juvenile female Green. Skinny and lethargic with FP tumors. Captured by Mote Marine Lab on 6/26/13.

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*Final surgery completed on 10/2/13 where all of the tumors were removed! Jack is now tumor free and will wait out a one year period to monitor for regrowths before being released.
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Curly: 5-lb juvenile male Green. Floating and lethargic. Arrived 4/5/13 after being transferred from Volusia.

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*Tumor free! Release in September 2014.
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Hook: 18-lb juvenile male Green.  Fishing hook removed at Miami Seaquarium’s turtle hospital, but FP tumors sprouted.  FP surgeries and remainder of treatment to take place at The Turtle Hospital.  Arrived 9/16/12, transferred from Miami Seaquarium in Miami, FL.

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*Tumor-free! Release in June 2015.

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