loggerhead (Caretta caretta)

Stranding Location: Kit Point, Avon, NC

Arrival Date: 01/10/2013

Age: juvenile

Weight: 21.9 kg (~49 lb.)

Case History

In an effort to help North Carolina facilities with the large number of cold-stunned sea turtles that stranded in early December, three loggerhead sea turtles were transferred to the South Carolina Aquarium’s (SCA) Sea Turtle Hospital on January 10, 2013. Kit is one of three loggerheads received from the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

Treatment

Kit is enjoying a filtered tank with Manteo, another loggerhead transferred from the NC Aquarium. Although he has been a very picky eater and occasionally refuses his food, he is gaining a little bit of weight and is extremely feisty. Take a look at the photograph of when he was transferred into our van for the drive to the SCA – his mouth is wide open trying to bite!

Updates

21 March 2013: Feisty Kit is the first of our cold-stunned loggerheads to be cleared for release! SCDNR stopped by to assist in tagging Kit today; the PIT and flipper tags we applied will aid in future identification. SCA staff will begin coordinating his safe return to the wild.

7 April 2013: Today, Kit joined a caravan of 52 sea turtles headed to balmy Florida for a multi-facility release coordinated by the NEAq!

Release Date

04/07/2013

Release Location

East Coast of Florida