Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Eastham, MAArrival Date: 11/20/2014Age: JuvenileWeight: 1.6 kg (~3 lb.)

Case History

Teeter is one of fifteen sea turtles transferred from the New England Aquarium (NEAq) to the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital on November 20, 2014. This Kemp’s ridley was one of more than a thousand sea turtles afflicted with severe hypothermia and recovered (alive or dead) from the beaches and nearshore waters of Massachusetts during an unprecedented cold-stunning event in late November 2014. Thanks to the generosity of a private flight donated by Margie and Will Dorminy, owners of Southern Eagle Distributing in Charleston, we are proud to be one of more than 17 facilities nationwide to aid NEAq in caring for the massive number of threatened and endangered sea turtles stranded due to this cold-stunning event.

Treatment

Teeter was stabilized and started on antibiotics by the team at NEAq after being found on an Eastham beach at high tide November 9th. Just after stranding, this tiny juvenile was taking only one breath approximately every five minutes, and his heart rate was slow and irregular at 5 beats per minute. However, this ridley was in decent shape upon arrival to our hospital November 20th, and we were able to place Teeter in a filtered tank of water after he received a physical exam and radiographs from our vet. Prognosis is good.

Release Date

March 5, 2015

Release Location

Cape Canaveral National Seashore