Cole

Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Barnstable County, MAArrival Date: 11/20/2014Age: JuvenileWeight: 2.9 kg (~6 lb.)

Case History

Cole 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

Cole was recovered from the beach at Cole Road in Eastham, Massachusetts, on November 9th. This ridley’s initial physical exam revealed a core body temperature of 57°F and minor fractures along the rear margin of the shell, possibly the result of older boat strike wounds. Antibiotics and vitamin B injections were prescribed and, as Cole remained oddly inappetant until the 16th, he was closely monitored for complications due to cold-stunning. Upon arrival to our sea turtle hospital on the 20th, Cole’s marginal scute fractures were debrided and he passed his eye exam with flying colors. Luckily, this ridley’s appetite had improved dramatically by the time we received him, and he was one of the first of the transferred turtles to eagerly consume the healthy mackerel and smelt we offered him. Prognosis is good.

Release Date

February 10, 2015

Release Location

Cape Canaveral National Seashore