Today was a big day for Manteo, Taylor, Barney, McCann and Birdie. Months after being admitted to the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rescue Program, it was time for them to return to the sea. May 23rd is National Turtle Day and a crowd of almost 700 wildlife enthusiasts gathered at the Isle of Palms County Park for the first sea turtle release of the season. The multitude of excited onlookers squeezed together to form a pathway to the water and patiently awaited the turtles’ first steps towards the sea. Only after the first sea turtle entered the water did the crowd fully voice their excitement. The sea turtles’ rehabilitation had been monitored closely by hundreds of the spectators, and tears of joy followed these beautiful animals back to the sea.
The South Carolina aquarium has successfully rehabilitated and released 112 sea turtles and is currently treating 18 others suffering various injuries including entanglement and cold stunning from extended periods of exposure to cold-water temperatures. Birdie is a Kemp’s ridley, the smallest and most endangered of all sea turtle species. Birdie’s treatment included laser therapy and a rigid course of antibiotics to overcome her entanglement injuries. Manteo and Taylor both represent the largest of all sea turtle species, the loggerhead. The loggerheads were victims of a massive cold-stunning event that happened this winter along the east coast. Barney and McCann, both green sea turtles, were also suffering from cold-stunning. Dr. Shane Boylan of the South Carolina Aquarium said that juvenile sea turtles are often victims of cold stunning. “These young turtles are not always able to get to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream in time and the cold water temperatures take their toll.” All seven species of sea turtles are endangered, and programs like the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rescue Program help these imperiled animals return to the wild.
