Posted on Dec 7, 2023
Local sea turtle hospital races to save those that wash up on the Cape
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A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle flapped its flippers up and down as Dr. Kathryn Tuxbury, a senior veterinarian at the New England Aquarium conducted a physical exam on Monday.
“So, I’m checking, palpating inside the body cavity, the coelomic cavity, checking for abnormally big kidneys, things like that,” Tuxbury said as she took a close look at the turtle in front of her.
This turtle recently washed up on a beach on the bay side of Cape Cod, stunned by the cold water temperatures. It’s become an annual event: as the turtles get stuck trying to migrate to warmer waters in the south, volunteers find the stunned turtles and bring them here, to the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy.
“So, we're checking blood,” Tuxbury said as she continued her examination. “We can tell this guy's a little dehydrated. The eyes are sunken, but we're pretty active on the table, which is great.”
This is one of 59 turtles rehabbed here that were flown to Florida on Tuesday, where they will ultimately be released into warmer Atlantic waters.
“So, I’m checking, palpating inside the body cavity, the coelomic cavity, checking for abnormally big kidneys, things like that,” Tuxbury said as she took a close look at the turtle in front of her.
This turtle recently washed up on a beach on the bay side of Cape Cod, stunned by the cold water temperatures. It’s become an annual event: as the turtles get stuck trying to migrate to warmer waters in the south, volunteers find the stunned turtles and bring them here, to the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy.
“So, we're checking blood,” Tuxbury said as she continued her examination. “We can tell this guy's a little dehydrated. The eyes are sunken, but we're pretty active on the table, which is great.”
This is one of 59 turtles rehabbed here that were flown to Florida on Tuesday, where they will ultimately be released into warmer Atlantic waters.
Local sea turtle hospital races to save those that wash up on the Cape
Posted from wgbh.org
Quincy
State of Florida
Wildlife
Posted 5 mo ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."In addition to medical care, the turtles get a carefully prepared diet, like a feast of squid and herring prepared by intern Emily Davis.
“We'll cut it into filets because the turtles right now aren't eating any hard parts,” she said. “We cut into filets so they have nice boneless pieces.”
Some of the turtles that arrive here are in pretty rough shape, but Kennedy said the hospital is able to save up to 80% of those that make it here.
Biologist Alessia Brugnara examined another one of the Kemp’s ridley turtles and wanted to give it some antibiotic eye drops. But the turtle wouldn’t open its eyes.
“Honestly, if he doesn't open his eyes all the way, we'll just make sure to note it,” Brugnara said to a veterinarian assistant who was helping her. “Also, try to administer it because some could get between the eyelids. But this is actually how this turtle has been presenting. He probably has one of the worst eye situations.”
Brugnara said turtles that are stunned by the cold can injure their eyes when waves push them into rocks, or they can get frostbite on their eyelids.
She said the work is not easy, but the medical team working on this little turtle was hopeful about getting him back in the ocean someday."
..."In addition to medical care, the turtles get a carefully prepared diet, like a feast of squid and herring prepared by intern Emily Davis.
“We'll cut it into filets because the turtles right now aren't eating any hard parts,” she said. “We cut into filets so they have nice boneless pieces.”
Some of the turtles that arrive here are in pretty rough shape, but Kennedy said the hospital is able to save up to 80% of those that make it here.
Biologist Alessia Brugnara examined another one of the Kemp’s ridley turtles and wanted to give it some antibiotic eye drops. But the turtle wouldn’t open its eyes.
“Honestly, if he doesn't open his eyes all the way, we'll just make sure to note it,” Brugnara said to a veterinarian assistant who was helping her. “Also, try to administer it because some could get between the eyelids. But this is actually how this turtle has been presenting. He probably has one of the worst eye situations.”
Brugnara said turtles that are stunned by the cold can injure their eyes when waves push them into rocks, or they can get frostbite on their eyelids.
She said the work is not easy, but the medical team working on this little turtle was hopeful about getting him back in the ocean someday."
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
SGT (Join to see) I Will Never Forget the Experience of Watching a Female Turtle Lay Eggs, Up Close and Personal on Dodge, Watching the Hatchlingst Make their Way back to the Ocean and Swimming with Sea Turtles.
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when ever I see A turtle in the street I stop and take them to the nearest body of water some A-holes aim for them and hit them its sad to see even one of them crushed in the street sometimes if I see one ill block the street and look up to see other drivers blocking the street to even in this day of most people not caring it feels great to see other people stopping I thank them most say no thank you I know you are getting the TURTLE to safty
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