8/1/14

More 2013 turtles on their way home!

As staff are busy preparing for the upcoming release, guest bloggers Deborah and Liz will fill you in on several turtles being released this week.

Kaboom receiving one of his final exams for rehabilitation!

After nine long months of rehabilitation Poppy Porcupine (#41), Cheeri O’ Leary (#42), Kaboom (#67), and Honey Combs (#16) are set to be released off the coast of Maryland this Friday! It takes a tremendous effort from the rescue team to ensure that these animals recover from the conditions of cold stun and disease. Every animal that enters the NEAQ rehab facility has their own story and their own vast oceans to swim to reach recovery, but thankfully for most the end result is a victorious reunion with the salty seas.

Poppy Porcupine and Cheeri O’Leary were two of the smallest turtles of the 2013-2014 season when they entered the facility in November.

 BEFORE: Poppy Porcupine (1.75kg)

AFTER: Poppy Porcupine during a routine daily exam

BEFORE: Cheeri O’Leary (1.15kg)

AFTER: Cheery O'Leary during a recent routine daily exam

Currently weighing in at 3.95kg and4.50 kg, Poppy Porcupine and Cheery O'Leary both have more than doubled their initial weight!

At 4.90kg, Kaboom is feeling feisty and ready to go back to her home in the big blue.

Kaboom was a particularly worrisome case when she arrived back in November, cold stunned and riddled with severe pneumonia that seemed a near impossible hurdle for the little 2.35 kg turtle to leap. Despite the odds Kaboom has made a full recovery. Read about some of her treatments and recovery.

BEFORE: Honey Combs

Honey Combs during treatment

AFTER: Eight months later and Honey Comb is another triumphant turtle
ready to surf the waves of Maryland with all four flippers!
Honey Combs was another victim of a severe case of pneumonia. Due to the severity and persistence of the pneumonia two months after admission to the facility, the turtle underwent a bronchoscopy. During that procedure a biopsy of the infected tissue was taken.

Stay tuned for more news about the release!
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7/27/14

A seal is on the beach: Who do you call?

Please note: It is normal for seals to rest out of the water!
Seal resting on the beach

 Guest Bloggers and in-house volunteers Emily and Melissa were the main contributors to this blog.

It is summertime in New England, which means more interactions between seals and people as the beaches fill up with swimmers and sunbathers. Harbor seals and gray seals are our year-round, native species, and they will rest on the beach to warm up after foraging in the cooler water.

The majority of seals seen on the beaches are usually less than one year old. They tend to be thinner because they have weaned from their mothers and are still building up body fat. Due to their young age they tend to be naive to good haul out locations and feeding grounds.

The New England Aquarium’s response area ranges from Salem, MA, to Plymouth, MA. If you encounter a seal on the beach within this territory, please call our Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Hotline at 617-973-5247.  This number can also direct you to other marine mammal hotlines in New England by choosing the correct option. 

However to reach a specific marine mammal stranding response agency we have listed geographic areas with the corresponding agency below.
  • North of Rockport, Maine: College of the Atlantic - (800) 532-9551
  • South of Rockport, Maine: Marine mammals of Maine - (800) 532-9551
  • New Hampshire: Sea Coast Science Center - (603) 997-9448
  • Salisbury, MA to Beverly, MA (INCLUDING CAPE ANN): NOAA: (866) 755-6622
  • Cape Cod and Southeastern, MA: IFAW- (508)743-9548
  • Martha's Vineyard: NOAA - (866) 755-6622
  • Nantucket: NOAA - (866) 755-6622
  • Rhode Island and Connecticut: Mystic Aquarium - (860) 572-5944 x107 

Every seal reported within New England Aquarium’s territory will be monitored by the staff and trained field volunteers. Not every seal that is reported will need to be brought to a facility for rehabilitation.

Seal in banana posture

This harbor seal is in a normal resting position called the “banana posture.” Based on the photo, there are no concerns about the health of this seal. 

Resting harbor seal

Here is another photo of a harbor seal resting on the beach. You can see that he is thinner than the previous seal. One common concern is that the seal is a baby that should still be with his mother, but they only nurse for approximately 4 weeks before they are weaned. This seal is independent and may have just started learning how to forage for fish.

Harbor seal

This harbor seal is looking at the photographer. This means that the photographer is too close since the seal has been alerted by his or her presence. This seal is thin like the previous seal, but you can see between the rear flippers and in the sand that she has defecated recently, indicating successful foraging.

Gray seal

Here is a gray seal in good body condition. The photographer here is too close since the seal’s mouth is open. Seals can and will bite if they feel threatened. They can also carry diseases that can be easily transmitted to dogs, as well as humans. This is one of many reasons to keep your distance from a seal resting on the beach.

Stressed gray seal

This gray seal is not being shy but is in fact stressed by the presence of the photographer.  Seals will wave a flipper, scratch their head or cover their eyes if they are feeling stressed. Seals will also shiver if they are being stressed. You do not want to put a blanket on a shivering seal. It may appear cold, but seals can overheat and die if they are covered.

This gray seal needs help, call the appropriate rescue team

This gray seal would warrant an immediate field response as it is entangled with marine debris around his neck.

A gray seal with a head wound needs professional response

The rescue team wears appropriate safety gear for working with these wild animals

This harbor seal has a wound on his head that also warranted an immediate field response. Note that the New England Aquarium response team is wearing leather gloves, eye protection, and a face mask due to the diseases that can be transferred between seals and people.

— Emily and Melissa
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6/26/14

Saying Good-Bye to the Loggerheads

On June 22, 2014 the four loggerhead sea turtles we met in the Return of the Loggerheads blog were transported from Aquarium's Rescue and Rehabilitation Center to Assateague State Park in Maryland for release. The  Rescue Team was lucky enough to be joined by Asheley Simpson and Shannon Prendiville. Shannon and Asheley played a crucial role in the rehabilitation of these four loggerheads. The Rescue Team is forever grateful to these two for their tireless dedication and expertise.

Release day started in the early morning hours on Sunday. All the turtles were prepped and loaded into the vehicles for a ride down to Maryland. Two loggerhead sea turtles, Sugar Plum and Andes were outfitted with satellite tags. The satellite tags give us the opportunity to track the turtles' migrations. For an exciting opportunity to watch the turtle's movements you can go to seaturtle.org.


Asheley applies lubricant to Andes to help keep the turtle moist throughout the journey.


It takes a team effort to load these large sea turtles into the vehicles.


Upon arrival to Assateague State Park, the Aquarium Rescue Team was greeted by a number of excited onlookers and Assateague State Park personnel.

The crew, with turtles in tow, hitch a ride with Assateague State Park personnel down to the beach.

Andes taking a peek before the release.

Candy Cane waiting patiently to be released.

Candy Cane relieved to be out and making headway towards the water.

Patience pays off, Candy Cane hits the waters edge and makes the journey out to the ocean. 


Shannon and Asheley help release the smallest and feistiest of the loggerheads, Maple.

The team works together to release a 140 pound loggerhead named Sugar Plum.

Sugar Plum makes it out to the ocean. Sugar Plum is outfitted with a satellite tag; you can follow this turtle's movements on seaturtle.org.

Shannon and Asheley share a hug and smile after watching the turtles they worked with make their way out to the ocean.

The Aquarium Rescue crew, celebrating a job well done after a long day of driving and releasing the four large loggerhead sea turtles.















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5/26/14

Lasered to a Golden Crisp

 #32 "Golden Crisp", a rescued Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, was admitted last year cold-stunned.

#32-"Golden Crisp" when first admitted; lethargic, emaciated, and cold-stunned.

Once in rehab, staff noticed swelling in both front flippers and the left rear flipper. Coinciding with the swelling, "Golden Crisp" began to use these flippers less and less.

Swelling of the left rear flipper
Swelling of the right front flipper


Radiographs, laser therapy, cultures and exploratory surgery were performed to help diagnose and treat "Golden Crisp."

Laser therapy is used to help reduce swelling and promote greater range of motion.



"Golden Crisp" undergoes exploratory surgery of the left rear joint and the left front joint. Necrotic bone and tissue were removed and cultured.

After the surgery, "Golden Crisp" was moved to a different tank to encourage greater range of motion of the flippers. In the past few weeks since the surgery, this turtle has been using the right front flipper and rear left flipper more and more.


— Linda
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5/23/14

#67 Kaboom: On the way to recovery!

We've been following turtle #067—a rescued Kemp's ridley sea turtle—during rehabilitation after it washed up on a beach in Brewster, Massachusetts with hypothermia this fall. First she took a field trip for specialized diagnostics, then she had a brochoscopy and a laparoscopy. Today's post is an update on her recovery.

We would like to give you a quick update on Kaboom, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle that for a long time was our most critical patient.

Kaboom "showing off" her beautiful shell!

Back in January, Kaboom was transferred to the Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn, MA, for a CT scan, which revealed several areas of diseased lung and severe pneumonia. In the next couple of months Kaboom also underwent a bronchoscopy and a laparoscopy, to further diagnose the nature of her pneumonia and obtain some lung samples for better diagnosis.

Based on the bacteria that was isolated from her lung tissue, Kaboom's prognosis was very guarded, but we all felt she had a fighting chance. She was started on three different types of antibiotics that were given to her both through injections and by mouth. Kaboom's appetite was initially very poor and the rescue team volunteers and interns had to work very hard to get Kaboom to eat her medications.

Over the next few months, Kaboom grew stronger and stronger, her appetite increased and her overall appearance has changed dramatically. She morphed from this malnourished, skinny looking turtle with multiple scars and lesions on her shell and flippers to a beautiful, much healthier looking turtle. For those who have not seen her for longer periods of time, the transformation was so remarkable that many did not believe Kaboom was the same turtle they saw a few months ago.

Just recently our veterinary staff scheduled a convalescent CT scan to see if the overall improvement in Kaboom's condition would be reflected in the results from the CT scan of her lungs. Below are two images of Kaboom's lungs, one from January and one from May. Even for an untrained individual, the difference is remarkable! The lung area is the dark area in the upper half of the turtle, just under the carapace (upper shell).

Kaboom's January CT scan.

Kaboom's May CT scan.

As you can see by comparing these two images, the lungs in January, especially the right one, have many areas of diseased tissue marked by "white" patches. The same areas in May are almost completely dark, which is healthy lung tissue.

Kaboom on the CT table right before the procedure.

Shortly after the CT Kaboom was discontinued from all antibiotics and is on the way to recovery!
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5/13/14

The Return of the Loggerheads

New England Aquarium Rescue Staff and Volunteers had the pleasure to take a trip up to the University of New England (UNE) Marine Animal Rehabilitation and Conservation program (MARC) to pick up and conduct a health study on four cold-stun loggerhead sea turtles that have been housed there over the winter for rehabilitation. 

These four loggerheads were admitted to NEAq last year suffering from cold stunning. At the time, we were inundated with cold stun sea turtles and running out of space. UNE MARC was ever so gracious in lending a helping hand, they agreed to take the loggerheads and to see to their rehabilitation. Now the four loggerheads have made a journey back to the Aquarium, where they will complete the rest of their rehab and be released in the near future. Take a look below to see a successful collaborative effort between NEAq and MARC!
NEAq staff and volunteers prepare to take samples and data for a health study. 

MARC volunteers prepare to remove "Maple" from the tank. 

"Maple" emerges.

NEAq staff take blood from each loggerhead for a health study. 

Heart rates are taken on all the loggerheads with a use of a fetal Doppler. 

NEAq staff run blood assays on each loggerhead. 

NEAq and MARC volunteers work together to document time and behavior of the loggerheads.


Once the turtles have been pulled from the tanks and have undergone a health study, they are taken out in a kennel and placed in the SUV for transport to NEAq. 

"Maple" takes a deep sigh while waiting to be placed back into the water at NEAq. 

A HUGE thank you goes out to UNE MARC for all their help and support! 

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