Green (Chelonia mydas)

Stranding Location: Hunting Island State Park, SC
Arrival Date: 8/1/24
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 1.90 kg (4.18 lbs)

Case History

This little green sea turtle was found lethargic and struggling in the surf next to the Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier. It was clear that this animal needed treatment due to her/his poor condition. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) was contacted and permitted volunteers helped rescue and safely transport this little turtle to the Aquarium.

Treatment

Upon admit, Bao was clearly very sick, but was also bright, alert and responsive. Bao was covered in a moderate epibiont load and had a fully healed old wound or deformity to her/his shell. In addition, this patient was extremely thin, had sunken eyes and the edges of the carapace and plastron were soft and squishy, which is a sign of a very sick turtle. After the physical exam, a blood sample was taken and it showed that Bao had low blood sugar and calcium, as expected based on the physical examination. We took radiographs of the patient and saw that Bao likely had pneumonia and has not eaten anything in a long time. We attempted to take a CT scan, but Bao was moving around too much.

Based on the findings from the physical exam and various diagnostics, Bao was administered fluids with dextrose (sugar), vitamins, antibiotics, calcium and eye drops. Throughout the admit process, Bao retained a strong, steady heart rate and was consistently taking good breaths. Because of this, staff felt confident to place Bao in a kiddie pool with shallow water. Bao showed us that s/he was capable of resting at the bottom of the kiddie pool while also coming to the surface to breathe, which mean s/he could stay in water overnight!

Updates

August 6, 2024: The past few days have been very eventful for Bao! Staff placed Bao in a shallow tank of water to see test her/his strength and Bao did very well! After graduating from the kiddie pool, Bao even ate fish and defecated for the first time. This is slow but steady progress!

September 15, 2024: Bao sure has come a long way in the last month! Not only is this little green sea turtle swimming well in a full tank water, but staff has been gradually increasing Bao’s diet and s/he is steadily gaining weight! Bao is strong enough to receive enrichment and spends a lot of time scratching her/his back on the various items to remove the barnacles naturally, like sea turtles do in the wild!