Over Easy | South Carolina Aquarium

Over Easy

Jun 13

Over Easy

Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Garden City Pier, SC
Arrival Date: 6/2/24
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 2.63 kg (5.80 lbs)

Case History

Over Easy came to us on a Sunday morning after being hooked by an angler at the Garden City Pier. S/he was transported to the Aquarium by a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources permitted volunteer with the hook still in place in her/his mouth and the excess line taped to the carapace.

Treatment

This little turtle was active and alert when arriving at the Aquarium. Upon admit, radiographs were taken to see the exact location of the hook to evaluate a removal plan. Luckily, the hook was reachable in the back of the throat. Once the blood work results came through with all values within normal parameters, our veterinarian decided to manually remove the hook with light sedation to ensure the patient was comfortable. The hook removal procedure was easy and over in less than 10 minutes, leading us to give the name “Over Easy” to this little turtle! Following the procedure, s/he was given fluids, vitamins and antibiotics to keep the hook wound clean and start the healing process. Over Easy is a bit bruised on their plastron, but overall is in good body condition and should easily make a full recovery with a little rest and relaxation! Based on condition and energy levels, we tried this little turtle in water and s/he navigated and settled in a full tank very well!

Updates

June 7, 2024: In the first week, Over Easy has made great strides. It is not uncommon for turtles who have been hooked in the mouth or esophagus to be sore and uninterested in eating for a few days. On day four, this patient felt comfortable enough to start showing interest in food! This will give Over Easy more energy to put towards healing.

July 11, 2024:  Exciting news! After making a full recovery, Over Easy was released by boat today into a beautiful local estuary with easy access to the Atlantic Ocean. Wish this little Kemp’s ridley the best of luck out in the big blue!

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