Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Arrival Date: 6/1/25
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 1.02 kg (2.24 lbs)

Case History

This little Kemp’s ridley was hooked by a fisherman at Myrtle Beach State Park Fishing Pier. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) was contacted and Iris was transported safely to the Aquarium by permitted SCDNR volunteers!

Treatment

Upon arrival, Iris was fairly feisty and taking great breaths, despite having ingested a large fish hook. It was clear that this patient been through a lot before getting hooked by a fisherman — made evident by the multiple areas of missing keratin, significant bruising and abrasions across the body. Based on the shallow location of the hook, we felt that we could attempt to remove it with light sedation and without surgery. The hook was swiftly removed in about 10 minutes! After all antibiotics and other medications were administered, Iris was set up in a kiddie pool securely floating in a tank overnight to rest. Even though this patient had good energy levels, our experience with this very young life stage has taught us that they rest more comfortably in a kiddie pool than in a deep tank of water!

Updates

June 3, 2025: Iris has been spending most of her/his time resting quietly in the kiddie pool. We have been offering food each day, but so far Iris does not have any interest. It is common for new patients to not eat for a few days, especially those with oral wounds from fish hooks. Once Iris starts eating and her/his energy levels increase, we’ll start incorporating some swim time out of the kiddie pool!

July 15, 2025: Iris has gained so much energy over the last month, so s/he has graduated from spending time in the kiddie pool, completely! And, since this tiny Kemp’s gets healthier every day, we are planning to tag her/him in the coming weeks to prepare for Iris’ eventual return to the wild!

July 30, 2025: Iris was released into the protected saltmarsh alongside Hibiscus, Bluebonnet, Orchid and Tulip! Good luck out in the big blue!