Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)
Stranding Location: Sandy Neck, Barnstable, MA
Arrival Date: 12/05/2012
Age: juvenile
Weight: 2.4 kg (~5 lb.)
Case History
Turbo is one of ten sea turtles transferred to the South Carolina Aquarium’s(SCA) Sea Turtle Hospital on December 5th, 2012, from the New England Aquarium (NEAq). All ten turtles originally cold-stunned around Cape Cod, MA, in November and December 2012, and were initially treated by NEAq’s Marine Animal Rescue Team. Thanks to the owner of Davis Air, Inc., Gary Davis and pilot Neal McCann, these 10 turtles received complimentary first-class airfare to our facility to finish their rehabilitation. This transfer not only aids NEAq by freeing up limited resources, but also will allow these ten sea turtles to be released back into the wild at an earlier date.
Treatment
Turbo is named for the plane that he was transferred in, the Beechcraft King Air Turboprop. This 2.4 kg Kemp’s ridley received treatment from Dr. Innis and the NEAq team after stranding on November 18th, 2012, in Massachusetts. Upon arrival to our hospital, the physical exam performed by our consulting vet didn’t reveal any major issues and Turbo is now off all medications. This turtle should be strong and healthy for release this spring!
Updates
26 February 2013: Turbo’s iron level is about half of what it should be, so he was prescribed iron injections by our vet yesterday. His blood work will be re-evaulated once he has completed this treatment, and hopefully he’ll be ready to be released this spring.
4 March 2013: We discovered a couple irregularities in Turbo’s x-rays today, as well as a few gas pockets in his GI tract that are a bit abnormal. Turbo will remain with us until we are sure his GI tract is functioning normally.
Release Date
06/18/2013
Release Location
Beachwalker County Park, Kiawah, SC