Rehabilitated sea turtles returned to sea

A trio of injured sea turtles rescued along the Grand Strand this summer are now healthy and again swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.

Barnacle Bob, Midway and Pawley made their way slowly back into the warm ocean waters Wednesday after being released from the Sea Turtle Hospital in Charleston.

Between 500 and 700 people gathered at the Isle of Palms County Park and cheered the turtles on as each was removed from its individual container and carried within three to four feet of the water. Officials released four turtles Wednesday, the trio from the Grand Strand and Little Laddy from Morris Island.

“It was an amazing crowd,” said Kelly Thorvalson, Sea Turtle Rescue Program manager . “We try to do releases after school so parents can bring their kids. I just love seeing how excited people get when they see these animals.”

The turtles, brought to the hospital for specialized care due to various health issues, were released into their natural habitat after being cleared as medically healthy, Thorvalson said. They will eventually head out to warmer waters in the Gulf Stream.

Injured sea turtles rescued along the state’s 187 miles of coastline get a second chance on life with rehabilitative care provided through the S.C. Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program in partnership with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Marine Turtle Program.

Hundreds of volunteers from organizations like S.C. United Turtle Enthusiasts (SCUTE) monitor nesting and hatching activities along the coast from May to October, as well as watching for and reporting locations of injured turtles.

Jeff McClary, a founder of SCUTE in Pawleys Island, was involved with rescuing both Pawley and Midway (named for where they were found) on June 8. The two juvenile loggerheads were in serious condition when they arrived at the hospital, he said. Pawley weighed about 30 pounds while Midway was closer to 70.

“Pawley had an old boat strike wound and broken shell that was in the process of healing,” McClary said. The second smallest loggerhead ever treated at the Sea Turtle Hospital, Pawley needed three months for his injuries to heal and his weight to be brought up to 34 pounds.

Midway, located by SCUTE coordinator for the Pawleys Island/South Litchfield area Mary Schneider, was found stranded on a sandbar, weak and covered in leeches. The turtle had ingested large amounts of plastic including plastic bag and balloon pieces that eventually passed through its system.

Linda Mataya, who along with McClary is certified by SCDNR and is part of a Sea Turtle Stranding Salvage Network, responded when employees of Ocean Watersports in Myrtle Beach realized what they initially thought was a lump of mud covered in barnacles was actually a turtle in great distress. Named Barnacle Bob, the severely emaciated juvenile green turtle was “at death’s door” when he arrived at the hospital, Mataya said.

“His prognosis was that they did not expect him to make it through the night,” Mataya said.

Today, knowing Barnacle Bob is once again at home at sea gives Mataya “a tremendous high,” she said.

“I’ve taken down numerous turtles (to the hospital) that didn’t make it,” Mataya said. “Every time we have one that survives, it makes our job worthwhile.”

It took four months of extensive care to bring Barnacle Bob back to full health and increase his weight from 7 to 9.5 pounds, according to Thorvalson.

A third species and the most endangered of all the seven sea turtle species, is the Kemp’s ridley. Little Laddy, a juvenile Kemp’s ridley underwent surgery at the hospital after being accidentally hooked by an angler on Morris Island in the Charleston Harbor. A full recovery allowed Little Laddy’s release along with the three other turtles.

Transporting injured turtles requires knowing how to stabilize and care for the air-breathing reptiles, thus the prerequisite certification by SCDNR. McClary said until the Charleston Sea Turtle Hospital opened, injured turtles had to be stabilized by a veterinarian and then transported to North Carolina. The delay in getting specialized care caused most of them to die, he said.

“It was 18 years before I saved my first turtle because that is when the hospital became available an hour and a half away,” McClary said.

Today the Charleston facility admits from 20 to 30 sea turtles a year, most in critical condition and some too sick to save. To date, the hospital has successfully rehabilitated and released 176 sea turtles and is currently treating 11 at an average cost of $36 a day. To respond to the growing need for specialized care of the threatened and endangered turtle species, the S.C. Aquarium will open a $5 million state-of-the-art Sea Turtle Hospital in 2017.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 8:12 AM with the headline "Rehabilitated sea turtles returned to sea."