Beach stranded Leatherback Turtle condition update
The leatherback sea turtle rescued from Big Hickory Island in Lee County on Tuesday remains in critical condition at Mote Marine Laboratory today. The turtle has been placed in a medical pool and appears to be in stable but guarded condition – however, as with all critically ill animals, her condition could change at any time.
The nearly 800-pound turtle was brought to Mote by Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after it stranded yesterday. Since its arrival at Mote, veterinary staff have taken blood samples, are providing supportive medical care and are monitoring her condition around the clock. The turtle has been placed in a harness in the medical pool to help allow it to swim comfortably and to keep her from abraiding, or rubbing, her delicate skin on the sides of the pool. Leatherback turtles are a pelagic – deep water – species, and un-used to boundaries or walls, making it difficult to treat them in a confined setting. Rehab is rarely attempted with this species.
Experts are always reluctant to bring this species of turtle in for treatment, according to Dr. Andy Stamper, Mote veterinarian. “Plan A was to get the animal back in the water, Plan B was to bring it into the hospital,” Stamper said. The turtle could be released within days, he said.
Special thanks goes to Eric Kolek at Sarasota’s American Canvas who quickly constructed a harness for this extremely large turtle on Tuesday. While our goal is to release this turtle as soon as possible, Mote is also seeking donations to help support the medical care of this animal. “This turtle is larger than other animals – even dolphins – that we usually treat at Mote,” Stamper said. “That means we have to use larger amounts of things like antibiotics to treat her and that costs are higher.”
To make a donation to help support the turtle’s care, please go to www.mote.org/hospitalhelp.
About this leatherback turtle:
The animal is an adult female nearly 5 feet long and weighs a whopping 787 pounds. She has a wound near where her left rear flipper attaches to her body and some abrasions on her right side and face. The animal does have a tag, so information about her previous nesting activity should be available later today.
Species information:
Leatherback turtles are the largest living reptiles in the world and are the largest and most endangered of all sea turtle species.
Leatherbacks don’t have shells like loggerheads and other sea turtles. Instead, their carapace is bony and covered with a firm, rubbery skin. Leatherbacks are commonly found in deep ocean waters and are the most migratory and wide ranging of all the sea turtle species. They nest on beaches around the world, with the largest nesting populations found on the coasts of northern South America and west Africa. There are minor nesting populations in the U.S. Caribbean (primarily Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and in southeast Florida. Leatherbacks are rarely seen along Southwest Florida’s Gulf coast – although a leatherback nest did hatch on Sanibel Island (Lee County) in August 2009.
Experts estimate most leatherback nesting populations have declined by at least 80 percent. The largest declines for leatherbacks have occured in the Pacific, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Trends of leatherback populations in the Atlantic aren’t as clear; some Caribbean nesting populations seem to be growing, but they remain much smaller than Pacific populations were less than a decade ago. Nesting on U.S. beaches has shown an upward trend in recent years.
Additional background on this stranding:
This leatherback sea turtle first stranded in Collier County on Monday then stranded again in Lee County on Tuesday and was brought to Mote Marine Laboratory for rehabilitation late Tuesday afternoon.
This turtle was first spotted on the beach in Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park on Monday. State park staff and staff from the Collier County Parks and Recreation department and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission eventually were able to coax the turtle back to the water and it swam away.
But on Tuesday morning, the turtle was found ashore again on Big Hickory Island. Turtle Time Inc., Lovers Key State Park rangers, members of Lee County’s Department of Natural Resources and staff from Pelican Landing rescued the stranded turtle by boat and brought it to the Carl Johnson boat ramp at Lovers Key State Park. Rhonda Bailey, biologist with FWC’s Sea Turtle Program and FWC law enforcement personnel also helped with the rescue. Bailey transported the turtle to Mote, where it arrived around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Once the turtle was at Mote, staff took radiographs (X-rays) of the turtle, drew blood samples and gave it fluids. The animal is an adult female nearly 5 feet long and weighs a whopping 787 pounds. She has a wound near where her left rear flipper attaches to her body and some abrasions on her right side and face. The animal does have a tag, so information about her previous nesting activity should be available on Wednesday, the FWC’s Bailey said.
Source: Mote Marine