Yesterday we received our eighth sea turtle of the 2011 cold-stun season. This turtle arrived at 65F from Eastham, MA. We were told the turtle was found trying to get back into the ocean and was able to be saved and brought to the Wellfleet Audubon.


We are definitely getting pretty original with our name of Hybrid for this sea turtle. Left is the turtle, right is Hybrid from the Spider-man series. Other turtles this season have been named Rorschah and Doomsday.

Wellfleet staff member Tempe holding Hybrid!

Tempe from Wellfleet brought the turtle up to us. It was very active on the ride up and during the exam.




So far, the heroes and villains theme has also named turtles Nightcrawler, Jack O'Lantern, Rorchach and Doomsday. These turtles will be treated until they are well enough for release into the wild, then they will be returned to the ocean in warmer waters. See photos of a recent release in this post. Caring for all the turtles is a big job, and any way you can help is appreciated.

We've been bracing ourselves for incoming turtles, but only two more have joined the super crew already at the Animal Care Center. Last weekend Doomsday (#9) and Rorschach (#10), both Kemp's ridley turtles, made their appearance in Quincy.

Doomsday came in in decent condition. He had a barnacle on his chin and was very alert. He swam well in the kiddy pool. A special thanks to the volunteers who drove the turtle up the same afternoon (photo below right show the volunteers swimming the turtle after his intake exam).


Rorschach was in much rougher shape. He came in with many abrasions on his flippers and plastron almost giving him a mottled appearance. He battled a low glucose in his first few days but is swimming and eating great on his own now. The photo below on the left is #10 at intake and the photo on the right is both #9 and #10 swimming in the tanks after eating very well.


We also have a new addition that came in today, #11, also a Kemp's ridley. The below photos are #11 during his intake.


Will #11 be a hero or a villain? Only time will tell.

~Kerry

So far, the heroes and villains theme has also named turtles Nightcrawler and Jack O'Lantern. These turtles will be treated until they are well enough for release into the wild, then they will be returned to the ocean in warmer waters. See photos of a recent release in this post. Caring for all the turtles is a big job, and any way you can help is appreciated.

Above is our newest Kemp's ridley Nightcrawler!

We received another Kemp's ridley yesterday bringing our count to two. This one was a mere 25 centimeters but was very alert and responsive.


Carapace with barnacles on the left. To the right is the small wound we found on the plastron.

The major problems that we encountered for this turtle were some barnacles on the carapace and a small older wound on the plastron.



Above one of our volunteers Mary is placing the turtle in for a second swim.

After triage the turtle was placed into the kiddie pool for a quick swim to help rehydrate, loosen sand and salt, and help kill epibionts (seaweed, barnacles) on the shell.


Swim turtle swim! Above the turtle is really active during one of its first swims. A very good sign that this turtle should do okay!

Now when most people think of Halloween, a few familiar things come to mind. Most people would think of pillowcases full of candy, toothless jack-o-lanterns, all sorts of crazy costumes, and of course the droves of trick or treaters coming to the door.

Here at the New England Aquarium's marine animal care center in Quincy, we had a different kind of trick or treater knocking on our door. Like most trick or treaters, it was well disguised and the costume consisted mostly of a thick green algae covering, along with a few small barnacles. Truly an eye opening presentation only mother nature could conjure up! No no it wasn't Swamp Thing, or the creature from the black lagoon.


It was a cold stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtle! THE FIRST OF 2011!!!!!



This juvenile Kemp's ridley stranded on Marthas Vineyard on October 30, was put on the ferry from Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole, and eventually spent that evening with our partners at Mass. Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.


The first cold stunned turtle of the year receiving its very first exam. When sea turtles strand from cold stunning, they will often have algae growing on them, as seen above on this turtle.

When this turtle arrived in Quincy, its internal temperature was a chilly 52.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Like their reptilian counterparts, sea turtles are cold-blooded. These animals, also known as ectotherms, rely on their external surroundings to regulate their body temperature, and to help them stay warm. So the first step is to slowly increase this turtles internal body temperature until it reaches 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. (We increase 5 degrees Fahrenheit each day.)


A temperature controlled unit helps us moderate the animals internal body temperature, and the turtle will spend its first few nights here.

These turtles need constant supervision and support during this time as they are very immobilized by their hypothermic state.


Carrie Thistle, one of the Rescue department's volunteers each Monday, supports the turtle during its very first swim session.

So now its day 2 and our turtle is hanging in there. Its temperature is slowly climbing and our blood analysis tells us that this turtle's internal workings are moving in the right direction. This ridley has had quite a journey and now its time turn in for the night at a toasty 60 degrees!



We have yet to decide on a name for the first sea turtle of the 2011 season, but I can tell you that our theme this year is, drum roll please..................................................... Superheros and Villains!

Until next time,

Kurt