Green (Chelonia mydas)

Stranding Location: North Myrtle Beach, SC
Arrival Date: 4/17/26
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 2.68 kg (5.9 lbs)

Case History

This juvenile green washed ashore in North Myrtle Beach and was reported to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). While responders were en route to the turtle, s/he was pulled back out to sea by the tide, only to re-strand a few hours later one mile away! Thankfully, the permitted SCDNR volunteers were able to safely secure the sea turtle to be transported to the Aquarium for treatment.

Treatment

April 17, 2026: Alfredo arrived very quiet, lethargic, underweight and completely covered in barnacles, algae and mud. From this appearance, we could infer that this little green sea turtle had been sick for quite a long time. It was apparent that Alfredo had not been eating well, so we quickly took a blood sample to test her/his blood sugar and other values. As we expected, Alfredo’s blood sugar was so low it couldn’t even be read on the glucometer! Due to Alfredo’s poor nutritional state, many other blood values were also low, including red blood cell counts, calcium and other electrolytes. We immediately treated the dehydration with fluids that contained dextrose (sugar), calcium and additional vitamins. During triage examinations, we stain the patients’ eyes to check for ocular abrasions or ulcers. Alfredo had wounds in both eyes, which we began treating with ophthalmic drops. After receiving fluids, antibiotics, vitamins and eye treatments, Alfredo was still very weak and needed some time to rest in a dry dock — a transport container lined with towels and foam. We rechecked her/his blood glucose levels later in the day to adjust our fluids treatment. As severely debilitated sea turtles begin to process the dextrose and fluids, their blood sugar can spike, and we have to adjust our treatments accordingly to counteract this.

Updates

April 19, 2026: Over the first few days in our care, we checked Alfredo’s bloodwork regularly so we could adjust the fluids in response to her/his daily fluctuations in blood sugar and electrolytes. Since Alfredo was extremely weak, we gave her/him opportunities to swim in a very shallow kiddie pool secured in a larger tank with supervision. As of this update, Alfredo was only been able to stay in the water for an hour or so before getting too tired. We have continued to dry dock this little green turtle in between swim tests and overnight to rest. We have also tried offering different types of fish and lettuces for Alfredo to eat, but so far s/he has shown no interest.

April 27,2026: Should we share the good news or the not-so-good news first?

Let’s kick off with the good news — Alfredo’s blood glucose levels have become much more stable, and s/he is now strong enough to stay in the kiddie pool full time! We’ve even been able to alternate her/his time between a deeper kiddie pool during the day and a shallow kiddie pool at night (which makes it easier to rest and still lift her/his head to breathe). Spending more time in the water has made it easier to clean off the epibiota from Alfredo’s shell and skin, which is where the not-so-good news was revealed.

After many of the barnacles and scabs fell off Alfredo’s inguinal (hip) and rear flipper regions, we identified a few small fibropapilloma (FP) tumors. These tumors are a result of the contagious fibropapillomatosis virus that most often affects green sea turtles. Sea turtles can have the virus without having tumors, but when they become sick and immunocompromised, the virus flares up and tumors grow on the skin. We immediately implemented our FP quarantine protocol, which means we have isolated Alfredo with a curtain around the tank, obtained separate life support tools and cleaning equipment and will take extra precautions to avoid cross-contamination to any of our other patients. For now, Alfredo needs to rest and rebuild her/his strength. The best way to go about this: eating! Luckily, Alfredo has finally begun to nibble at some food items. Her/his condition is still very guarded with a long road to recovery ahead, so please send all your healing wishes to the Aquarium!