Raft and Sandy Go Home

Two lines of onlookers faced an empty path in the sand leading to the ocean. A large black bin was carried from a National Park Service pickup truck and placed next to a small container. Everyone patiently waited to see the contents: two rehabilitated sea turtles ready for release into the wild.

In early June, we were able to release Raft, a loggerhead, and Sandy, a Kemp's ridley, from the beach in Buxton, North Carolina after they were treated here at the Aquarium. STAR Center staff and volunteers, with help from the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, cared for these animals for many months. Rehabilitating sea turtles is challenging, with the potential for new problems to arise quickly. Even with the obstacles, Raft and Sandy each have their own success story.

Raft

Raft came to the Aquarium in November 2014, covered in barnacles, oysters, seagrass, leeches and leech eggs. This loggerhead was thin and anemic, making it very tired and weak. Raft also had buoyancy issues, causing the rear carapace (or shell) to be elevated above its head when submerged. A 1-pound dive weight was attached to help Raft swim normally, and the floating did not return after its removal. De-worming medication was administered to Raft, and afterwards s/he began eating well and gaining weight. This loggerhead was cleared for release after a final physical exam showed the turtle was in excellent body condition.
Sandy

Sandy was found cold-stunned in early January on Hatteras Island. Upon arrival to the STAR Center, this turtle would not eat. S/he began to accept food after a few weeks, but had unfortunately lost some weight. A shoulder wound and neck lesion were treated by vets and staff, and eventually Sandy began eating well and gained weight. Once the neck lesion decreased in size and his/her overall condition was good, vets cleared Sandy for release.

Our vets implanted these turtles with PIT tags, which can be detected with a special scanner. If they are brought to another rehabilitation facility, these tags will reveal that Raft and Sandy were previously treated here at the Aquarium. Our hope is that they will remain healthy and not require assistance from humans again. However, if either one does run into trouble along the shores of the Outer Banks, we are ready to bring them back to the STAR Center for a second time.

Sandy waiting for release.

Raft was ready to go home!

Saving Fin

Head wound. Neck injury. Partially healed carapace. Broken flipper.

Any one of these would be a serious problem for a sea turtle, and a STAR Center patient is unlucky enough to have all of these ailments, and more. Fin, a Kemp’s ridley, came to us last November, very lethargic, thin, uninterested in food, and experiencing a lot of pain. Fin was in bad shape and our team knew a lot of dedicated work would be needed to save this turtle.



Carapace injury

Where to Start?

Fin's most noticeable injury is the carapace (or shell) fracture. Presumed to be a boat strike injury, it was already well healed and likely months old. A puncture wound behind the right eye, which led into the neck where a large swollen mass had formed, was much more concerning. Small bone fragments and pieces of dead tissue were removed and the injury was thoroughly cleaned, a process which would be repeated many times per week.

Cleaning the puncture wound

Showing no interest in food, Fin was force fed until late December when the turtle finally ate shrimp on its own. In February, a CT scan donated by Sentara Kitty Hawk confirmed a bone in the left front flipper was broken in three places. Necrotic material was removed from a small opening in the flipper and a foul odor revealed infection. It was obvious more invasive measures were needed to help Fin. 

Scalpel Please

Removal of neck mass

A procedure to remove the mass in Fin's neck was performed in February. After anesthetizing the turtle and making an incision, vets removed dead debris and tissue. To promote healing, the cleared wound was filled with raw honey and covered with gauze held in place with a few sutures. Fin's recovery from this operation was challenging, but the turtle eventually gained strength and became more active than before.



In April, an orthopedic specialist was called in to perform surgery on the flipper. Much more involved, this procedure took 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete. A crowd of visitors peered into the treatment room as vets removed dead tissue and a small fragment of necrotic bone before deeply cleaning the wound. Fin's flipper was stabilized with a network of pins with hopes that the bone will heal.



Pins inserted around Fin's broken humerus

Many sea turtles come to the STAR Center and regain their strength and health quickly. Fin is not one of those turtles, having been here for nearly seven months. S/he will be in the care of our dedicated staff and volunteers for much longer. Saving Fin is important because all sea turtles are endangered, and when one is rehabilitated and released back into the wild, we help save the species from extinction.