Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)
Stranding Location: Atlantic Ocean, Charleston, SC
Arrival Date: 8/27/24
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 0.66 kg (1.46 lbs)
Case History
Chia is a lucky little sea turtle who was found about three miles offshore from Charleston by a recreational fisherman while they were removing floating trash and debris from the water. Chia was floating amongst the debris and her/his right front flipper was entangled in thread attached to dumbbell- shaped piece of plastic debris. The fisherman contacted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and transported this Kemp’s ridley to SCDNR headquarters in James Island, South Carolina. The entangled debris was removed before arrival to the South Carolina Aquarium.
Treatment
Chia was reported to be alert and active during transportation to the South Carolina Aquarium but arrived with a quiet disposition. Upon physical examination, we found that about three-quarters of the right front flipper was necrotic from the entanglement wound. Chia also had skin missing on the right side of the face, a few spots of exposed bone on the upper right side of the carapace (back shell) and appeared to have some damage to the right eye. Radiographs confirmed severe bone damage to the right flipper in association with the entanglement wound. Luckily, Chia’s bloodwork showed relatively good values besides mild anemia and dehydration. Fluids and vitamins were given for rehydration, and antibiotics and pain medication were administered to combat infection and make Chia comfortable. Chia perked up, becoming more active and alert following these treatments! The injured flipper was cleaned with antiseptic solution and coated in a silver-honey ointment to fight further infection.
Following treatment, Chia was swim tested in a small kiddie pool. S/he did great! Chia was taking good breaths and moving around well. Chia showed a good range of motion in all flippers, including the shoulder of the injured flipper. A surgery to perform a partial amputation of the right front flipper and an in-depth eye exam by Dr. Anne Cook from Animal Eye Care Associates was scheduled for a few days after admit.
Updates
August 30, 2024: Chia has been quite active and is eating well after a very successful amputation surgery! We performed a partial amputation of the right front flipper to remove the dead bone and necrotic tissue that formed due to the entanglement. Chia’s remaining partial flipper has full range of motion from the shoulder joint and can still be useful for swimming and navigating! A fish skin patch was attached to the end of the amputation site to act as a skin graft to aid in healing. Chia will be given pain medication over the next couple of days to keep her/him comfortable during healing. To exercise this flipper and provide physical therapy, s/he is being placed in deeper water for short periods of time while supervised as well. Our smallest patient ever admitted to the Aquarium is one tough little sea turtle!
September 15, 2024: Chia is improving! This tiny sea turtle has a very healthy appetite and is using the partial flipper to swim and navigate easily throughout the tank. Chia has been defecating sargassum, leading us to believe that s/he was still exhibiting “oceanic drift” behavior — a period in a young sea turtle’s life where they inhabit the floating sargassum mats far offshore — and foraging off of the small critters living within this floating algae environment. Unfortunately, there is a large number of plastic debris in this environment as well. This can explain how little Chia got entangled in the first place. We’re keeping a close eye on Chia’s healing, eating habits and defecations to ensure this patient can return to the big blue someday.
October 15, 2024: Chia continues to improve every month! Chia’s face and shell wounds have fully healed in the past month. Plus, this past week, we were even able to remove the sutures that were holding the fish patch in place on the amputation site since it was almost entirely healed as well!
November 15, 2024: Chia continues to do improve! Chia’s flipper amputation has healed beautifully. S/he is swimming throughout the water column more often than when s/he first arrived and is exhibiting good diving behavior while foraging for food!
December 15, 2024: Chia continues improve every month! Now that Chia’s wounds are healed, we have begun to bask this tiny turtle. Out in the wild, sea turtles are constantly exposed to natural sunlight and UV. Since our sea turtle patients are rehabilitated indoors and sunlight exposure is limited, we use artificial lamps with special bulbs that mimic the sun’s exposure. Regular exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays helps our patients produce vitamin D, which is important for calcium absorption (for strong bones and shells)! By adding basking to Chia’s treatment plan, we are ensuring that Chia has everything s/he needs to be healthy and strong.
January 15, 2025: We have big news for our little Kemp’s ridley sea turtle: Chia has been PIT tagged! Our smallest patient has made great strides in her/his healing journey with us. Chia’s partial flipper is now fully healed and is actively being used, allowing her/him to easily dive for sunken food. Chia has grown a bit since arriving at the Aquarium. Since s/he has already been tagged and passed our physical exam, we are now waiting on the results of Chia’s bloodwork for potential release consideration. Cross your flippers!