CHARLESTON, S.C. — April 2, 2014 — After almost 10 months of expert care, two large loggerhead sea turtles are once again swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Miss Royal and Nud were both brought to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program in June of last year, each with different medical problems. Both were released today by boat in the Gulf Stream where the water temperature is above 70 degrees. Sea turtles are cold blooded and a minimum temperature of 70 degrees is necessary to release them back into the wild. This release was made possible thanks to the generosity of Kevin and Sandra Gary who provided the boat for the trip out to the Gulf Stream.
About Miss Royal:
Miss Royal, a 215-pound female loggerhead sea turtle was picked up by the SCDNR research vessel the Lady Lisa, off of Beaufort County. Miss Royal was found with a propeller wound to the right side of her carapace (shell) extending through her right rear flipper. The wound was flushed and treated, and the badly damaged portion of the rear flipper was successfully removed. After 10 months of expert care and a healthy diet, Miss Royal was cleared for release.
About Nud:
Nud, a 71-pound juvenile loggerhead sea turtle was found stranded on DeBordieu Beach suffering from a skin infection that caused a decline in health. Treatment included fluids, vitamin and antibiotic injections, as well as topical antibiotics and antifungal cream for the skin. Nud also received laser treatment to help accelerate the healing process. Nud spent 10 months in the care of Sea Turtle Hospital staff and recently received a clean bill of health.
To track the progress of current patients in recovery visit our Sea Turtle Rescue Program Blog at scaquarium.org. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates from the hospital and to find out when the next public sea turtle release will take place.
How to Help:
You can help care for sea turtles in recovery at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital by going to scaquarium.org and making a donation. You can also find out more about visiting the hospital as part of a behind-the-scenes tour.
For all media inquiries, please contact Kate Dittloff at (843) 579-8660 or [email protected]