Nobi

Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Cherry Grove, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Arrival Date: 8/20/2019
Age: Sub-adult
Weight: 40.3 lbs

Case History

Nobi was found by a fisherman named Joseph Elliot in Cherry Grove, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Nobi was swimming in circles in the water, seemingly unable to swim properly. The fisherman thought Nobi was entangled in fishing line and rescued him but could not find any gear once he had him in hand. Nobi was, however, missing a portion of both of his front and back left flippers. The rescuer called the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) to report the struggling turtle and Linda Mataya responded and transported Nobi to the South Carolina Aquarium.

Treatment

When Nobi arrived, staff members did a full physical exam. Nobi did not have any signs of entanglement but had likely endured a predator attack from a shark. He was missing the majority of his front left flipper and his rear left flipper. Both of these wounds were mostly healed up though. Staff also noticed Nobi’s left eye was abnormal. We gave Nobi a lot of vitamins, fluids, and antibiotics, as well as treated the wounds from the shark attack. We placed him in shallow water in his tank and let him rest overnight.

Update

September 15, 2019: Nobi has continued to receive fluids and vitamins over the past few weeks since he has not started eating on his own. He has consumed a few different types of fish, but only when staff uses tongs to put the food up to his face or directly into his mouth. Nobi is a fighter though. He is alert and responsive and is prepared to bite you if you come too close to his face. We are hoping that Nobi will begin eating on his own very soon.

October 1, 2019: Nobi has finally started eating on his own! Since our last update, Nobi began eating one specific kind of fish — Capelin. While this is normally not a favorite among our patients, Nobi loves it! He is on a weighted diet, and we are slowly increasing his tank depth. (We are at ¾ of a full tank!) Nobi’s left eye is impaired, likely from previous unknown trauma, so he will receive an ophthalmic exam in the next few weeks to evaluate his vision.