Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Arrival Date: 5/3/25
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 2.41 kg (5.3 lbs.)

Case History

Lily was admitted after being accidentally hooked by a fisherman at the Myrtle Beach State Park Pier. Once notified, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) was able to coordinate the transport of Lily with the help of a permitted volunteer to the Aquarium for treatment.

Treatment

Upon arrival, Lily was bright and alert which is always a good sign! The fisherman and the volunteer who responded to the stranding worked together to ensure that a long length of fishing line remained attached to the hook and taped it to Lily’s carapace. This is very helpful to our team when we remove the hook because follow the fishing line directly to the fish hook. Using a radiograph to visualize the fish hook, we found it to be at the base of Lily’s tongue.

Upon physical examination, we found that Lily had several old wounds present, possibly from predation. We obtained a blood sample to determine if Lily was healthy enough to be sedated for hook removal. Based on Lily’s bloodwork, we administered a variety of medications including antibiotics, vitamins and fluids, and s/he was deemed healthy enough to undergo sedation. The hook was successfully removed and Lily recovered well afterwards. Lily was moved to a tank in the basement of the Aquarium.

Updates

May 6, 2025: Lily is doing well! S/he spends time swimming with much energy and resting at the bottom of the tank. Lily has started showing interest in food and has been defecating a lot of crab shell that was backed up in her/his digestive tract.