Twelve patients representing three sea turtle species currently under the expert care of the Sea Turtle Rescue Program

Photo By: Barbara Bergwerf

Charleston, S.C. – December 12, 2008 – The November arrival of four cold stunned sea turtles has broken the 2007 record of 11 patients in the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital at one time. Two green sea turtles and two loggerhead sea turtles were admitted to the hospital after the recent onslaught of cold weather which lead to the major cold-stunning event in North Carolina. Hard shelled sea turtles rely on their surroundings to regulate their body temperature and sudden temperature drops in the waters cause them to become lethargic and immobile. This makes migration to warmer waters, a necessity for their survival, impossible. Over 65 sea turtles suffered cold-stunning and stranded on North Carolina beaches. Despite the Aquarium’s hospital being essentially at capacity, staff responded to the need, working quickly to adjust animal and tank locations in order to provide relief to the inundated North Carolina rehabilitation facilities.

Transported from North Carolina by DuBose Griffin from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the four sea turtles received treatment immediately upon arrival. Dr. Shane Boylan, Aquarium staff veterinarian, admitted the turtles and began slowly warming their core temperatures, providing vitamin and antibiotic injections to prevent pneumonia.

“The new patients are doing well,” said Kelly Thorvalson, Sea Turtle Rescue Program Coordinator. “The greens have been a little slower to respond but all have started to show an interest in food, which is a really good sign. It’s an exciting time to come to work,” remarked Thorvalson. “Every day the Hospital operates, the Aquarium is making a difference far greater than just these twelve – we’re doing our part to help save the species.”

Even with over 14 turtle hospital volunteers, care for the twelve turtles costs over $350 a day, an all-time high for the Aquarium’s hospital, a private non-profit . To help support the Hospital, the Aquarium is offering holiday gifts that will delight any turtle lover, give the opportunity to be a Turtle Hospital Nurse, or share a Turtle Lovers Gift Basket.

Turtle Lovers Gift Basket
Delight the turtle fan in your life with this great gift basket featuring exclusive items including personally autographed copies of New York Times Best-Selling Author Mary Alice Monroe’s books, complimentary general admission for two to the South Carolina Aquarium and two tickets for a private Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital.

Turtle Hospital Nurse
Join the team and get up close to sea turtles at the South Carolina Aquarium’s Turtle Hospital. Help feed and care for the Aquarium’s rescued sea turtle patients at South Carolina’s only dedicated sea turtle rehabilitation facility. This incredible gift
offers a truly memorable opportunity to help endangered and threatened sea turtles recover from critical injuries.
To get an up-close look at all twelve patients, representing three species of sea turtles, the Aquarium is offering exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Tours of the Hospital throughout the holidays to all Aquarium visitors. The tours, conducted on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 1:00 pm, offer a firsthand look at the efforts of the Aquarium’s team of trained professionals as they care for sick and injured sea turtles each day through the Aquarium’s renowned Sea Turtle Rescue Program. Attendees will meet the Hospital’s current “patients,” and hear about the intensive treatment and daily care that help to nurse the vulnerable turtles back to health. Tickets to the Behind-the-Scenes Tours of the Turtle Hospital can be purchased on-site at Aquarium admissions or by phone: (843) 577-FISH (3474). Advance reservations are recommended. For more information on tickets and prices, please visit: scaquarium.org.

The South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program helps to ensure that sea turtles have a vibrant future in our oceans. When an unhealthy or injured sea turtle is found along the coast, it is brought to the Turtle Hospital by the Department of Natural Resources where staff and volunteers monitor and take care of this threatened animal in the Aquarium’s state-of-the-art facility. The Turtle Hospital is the only dedicated turtle rescue and rehabilitation facility in South Carolina. Thirty-two rehabilitated sea turtles have been successfully released to the wild as a result of the Program. The Turtle Hospital and Sea Turtle Rescue Program, a conservation program of the South Carolina Aquarium, a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization, is currently caring for 12 sea turtles of three different species.

For more information on the South Carolina Aquarium visit http://www.scaquarium.org/