Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: North Myrtle Beach, SC
Arrival Date: 4/26/2025
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 6.97 kg (15.33 lbs.)

Case History

Petunia was accidentally hooked by a fisherman in North Myrtle Beach. Once notified, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) was able to coordinate the transport of Petunia to the Aquarium with the help of a permitted SCDNR volunteer.

Treatment

Petunia arrived in the late evening and was rather feisty, which showed us that s/he was resilient! With fish hook patients we always start with a radiograph to identify the location of the hook, and to our surprise Petunia had two fish hooks present! One was through the cheek while the other was embedded deep in the esophagus. In order to minimize stress, Petunia was sedated to begin a quick hook removal through the mouth. The hook in the cheek was successfully removed, however, we were unable to reach the deeper hook. Petunia was given antibiotics, fluids, pain medications and various vitamins before being placed in a tank to rest overnight.

Updates

April 29, 2025: After monitoring the location of the remaining fish hook through radiographs, we organized our team to perform a hook removal via surgery. The surgery went well and the hook was successfully removed — actually, the hook was stuck in a clump of shrimp that had been used as bait! After a few hours, Petunia was alert enough to be placed back into a tank. We monitored Petunia closely to make sure s/he was comfortable and could easily take breaths. Petunia is exhibiting floating behaviors, which appear to be a choice, rather than a medical problem. S/he is able to swim, dive and rest on the bottom. Normally when a turtle is exhibiting floating behaviors it is due to gas in the gastrointestinal tract or lung problems. After further assessment, we have determined that those do not seem to be issues for Petunia.