A few more going home

We’re going to be releasing a few more turtles here in the next few days but none of them will be released here. Gloria and Jay will likely be leaving on Sunday. They’ll be getting a boat ride out to the sargassum seaweed somewhere between here and the Bahamas. They are very small turtles and at this point in their lives they most likely live in a pelagic environment so we will return them to the open water. When they get larger they will recruit back to coastal areas.

We also tagged Bobo today. Not the smoothest operation – Bobo is quite strong, quite feisty and not really fond of being handled – making it an interesting procedure for the staff and volunteers that tagged him (thanks for your patience). Next week the FWC folks will give him a ride up north towards Brevard County where he was originally found.

Bobo got one flipper tag on the left flipper and one PIT tag (we skipped the right flipper tag due to a previous injury to that flipper). The flipper tags are metal and visible to anyone who finds the turtle but they can fall off as the turtle grows. The PIT tags are placed under the skin, are not visible to the naked eye and are read with a special scanner (exactly like a pet dog or cat might have). The advantage of these tags is they are unlikely to be lost and will remain with the turtle for an extended period of time.

Flipper Tags

PIT tags

The new greens

On Sunday we received 2 new green turtles, Finn and Greta. While these two turtles came from very different places (Broward and St. Lucie counties) they seem to be suffering from similar conditions. They both have neurological issues of unknown origin. We are keeping them out of the water because they are not able to swim well – turtles breathe air like we do and they can drown. We are treating them for potential parasites that may be in the brain. So far it’s the only explanation we have for their condition.

On another note, we found out today that Fiona’s digestive tract is indeed working. We are concerned that the wounds to the carapace may have caused some spinal damage. This can impact the intestines, but so far it seems like things are looking good for her. She is still far from out of danger but every little improvement keeps us hopeful.

Welcome to the Turtle Yard!

Welcome to the Turtle Yard blog. This is where we will keep you informed about what happens in the sea turtle rehabilitation program.

It’s been a busy few days here. Last Friday Zola was released and then Miriam went on Saturday. Both were strong, feisty and made a beeline for the open sea. Sunday saw the arrival of 2 new small green turtles. Both are in rough shape with neurological issues. So while we are treating them we are keeping our fingers crossed.