Green (Chelonia mydas)
Stranding Location: Charleston, SC
Arrival Date: 7/22/25
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 3.04 kg (6.68 lbs)
Case History
A juvenile green sea turtle was accidentally hooked by a fisherman on James Island in Grice Cove! Most of our sea turtle patients swallow the fishhooks, but this one was caught in the soft tissue behind one of the front flippers. This patient was quickly transported by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) to the Aquarium for treatment!
Treatment
Upon arrival, this turtle was much quieter than we usually see with juvenile green sea turtles. This was a strong indicator that Carnation was unwell. Normally, new patient admits begin with photos and measurements, bloodwork, radiographs and more. However, Carnation’s body temperature was dangerously high due to the extremely hot weather we have been experiencing in our region. It was important to get Carnation in water as soon as possible to start cooling her/him down before administering any medications and proceeding with our examination. We quickly took a small blood sample to get some baseline information and learned that Carnation’s lactate levels were also exceptionally high which can be life threatening. We administered fluids to help lower those levels and placed Carnation in a tank of water to cool down and relax.
Thankfully, once we placed Carnation in the tank, we saw her/his normal behavior return. Since we had to do a modified admit for the animal’s safety, we decided to give Carnation a few hours to cool off and calm down before proceeding with further treatment. By the afternoon, we were happy to see that Carnation had cooled off several degrees and was acting much more alert! We were able to safely administer more fluids, vitamins, pain medication and antibiotics. We chose to allow Carnation the night to relax and recover before removing the fishhook the following day.
Updates
July 25, 2025: The following morning, Carnation was taken to our surgical suite to remove the fishhook from the front flipper. Thankfully, we were able to remove the hook without sedation and only needed a local numbing medication (lidocaine)! In the days following, Carnation began eating and is on her/his way to full recovery!
August 15, 2025: Since having the fishhook removed from the front flipper, Carnation has been hitting all of her/his milestones! Carnation eats everything offered and s/he is swimming well. Carnation had a follow up appointment to reassess the wound left behind by that fishing hook. A radiograph was taken during this exam that revealed some mild swelling around that wound. Due to this swelling, we opted to administer an anti-inflammatory medication. We will continue to monitor this swelling throughout the entire rehabilitation process.