The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center

One good ‘tern…

Karen Sota — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:45:49 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

One good ‘tern…

…deserves another. We decided winter intern Wyatt shouldn’t have all the fun by himself, so we brought on Alastair McArthur as his roomie. It’s always more entertaining when there’s somebody else around when you want to “talk turtle.”

Alastair initially applied for our summer internship program in 2009, while he was still a student at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. After being accepted he realized that a previous commitment precluded him from fulfilling our twelve-week requirement so we never actually got to see his face, until a few weeks ago. Alastair is college friends with one of our externs and he never forgot about that lost opportunity. He decided to reconnect with Jean to see if he could come “off-season.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

This isn’t Alastair’s first experience with sea turtles. He was involved with the beach monitoring program in St. Pete, the Florida version of our Topsail Turtle Project. He also worked with various freshwater species of turtles, specifically in the Rainbow River area. That involved strapping on fins and a snorkel and plying the river bottom along a specific habitat. Once the turtle was located it was a quick snatch and hang on! We often have to resort to sneaking up on our patients when we need to get them out of their tank for various procedures, but unlike our turtles the river critters had plenty of places to hide so it was a bit more challenging. Once the freshwater turtle was procured it was weighed, measured, tagged and required to “donate” some blood before being returned to its home. Alastair also assisted in marking the scutes for future identification.

All that bagging and tagging is probably why he especially enjoys the weekly weighing and measuring of our babies, the smaller Green’s and Kemp’s. And if we have to set up some communal living due an influx of cold-stuns his experience in identification by scute anomaly will come in handy. After assisting with the Mola Mola rescue efforts a few weeks ago he’s adept at handling the wide range of sizes and shapes we have in residence at the moment. When we say “hands on” we really mean it, and that’s the main reason Alastair was so eager to sign on as an intern.

This Mystic, Connecticut native also has one quality that’s really appreciated by all of us; he’s very neat. When you squeeze volunteers and patients into tiny spaces neat is a big plus. And with a talent for organization he’s been a huge help to our medical supply coordinator with the inventory and sorting of our “stuff” in preparation for our move to the new facility.

If his plans for grad school or a career in wildlife law enforcement don’t come about in the next few months he may get a chance to experience the one thing he’s missing by being a winter intern; interacting with the more than 40,000 visitors we see every summer. He says he’d love to have a chance to educate the public about our turtles and our work. If you happen to see him running on the beach, which he does in his spare time, flag him down and ask him about our turtles.

Keep your eyes peeled

Although we haven’t gotten any cold-stuns recently that doesn’t mean they’re not out there. Please continue to keep a lookout for any turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

If you come across a stunned turtle carefully pick it up and place it in a protected but not overly warm area (a garage, car or laundry room would work well.) DO NOT place the turtle in warm water; a sudden change in temperature will send it into shock and possibly kill it. Immediately call the Wildlife Resources Commission’s sea turtle emergency hotline number at: 252-241-7367. Someone is available 24/7 to pick up calls. Locally you can call Terry (see number below) or Jean at: 910-470-2800.

Please report any and all local sea turtle activity (hatchings, strandings, injured or sick turtles) immediately to our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at 910-470-2880. Terry can be reached at: topsailseaturtle@aol.com for non-emergencies. All sea turtles are federally protected and harassing or harming them in any way will result in hefty fines and/or imprisonment.

Tuesday is T-shirt day

Don’t forget that our gift shop is open every Tuesday until further notice. Just knock on our hospital door between 9 AM and 11 AM any Tuesday and tell us you’re there to shop. Preview some of the items we have available online at our website before you come and remember, we can only accept cash and checks at this time. You can also shop for our logo T’s year-round at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach. Thanks, Lori.

Of course you can use our online ordering service at your convenience because our website never closes: www.seaturtlehospital.org. Stay connected with our patients and the progress of the new hospital. We’re stocked with clothing and other gifts and goodies perfect for turtle lovers. Follow the links to “Adopt-A-Sea-Turtle,” we have some pretty high maintenance patients who need all the financial and moral support you can provide. There’s still time to add your family’s name to our wall of fame with the “Family Giving Challenge.”

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. If your e-mail address has recently changed please send me your new one so I can update my master list. You can also access the newsletter from our website.

We love the smell of turtle breath in the morning!

Karen Sota — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:38:56 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

We love the smell of turtle breath in the morning!

This time last year cold-stunned Greens, Loggerheads and Kemp’s of all sizes occupied every nook and cranny of our hospital. It was one nasty winter, and the bitter cold temps exacted a horrific toll on man and beast alike. While we may have figuratively frozen we had a building full of sea turtles that were quite literally found in that state, and sent to us for thawing out. This year it’s different, at least for now.

The two large Loggerheads that came in near death last month are now off their meds, eating everything we toss into their tanks and obviously hoping for more. How they survived body temps in the low 40-degree range remains a mystery, as temperatures below 60-degrees can be problematic for these cold-blooded critters. We have the experience and the determination to do what it takes to give every turtle that comes through our doors the best chance they’ll ever get to return home.

Photo:”A little to the right, please.” “Anderson” enjoying his carapace massage before returning to his tank after being weighed and measured.

The bulk of our patients are now either fully recovered or well over the hump. It’s not easy taking care of the sick and injured, but healthy turtles are just as much work. They still need their meals, clean tanks and an occasional sunbath. They might splash you with their flippers when you walk buy. We‘ve had turtles who were masters at dismantling their in-tank plumbing. Some turtles will spend their day “migrating,” swimming endlessly in one direction towards who knows what, sounding like a washing machine or metronome with their constant rhythm. Of course there’s always the “tank potatoes” who park themselves in a nice sunny spot for a long nap. Enjoy your downtime now guys, because when we get into the new building you’ll be scheduled for a workout session in the therapy pool!

Our resident Kemp’s and Hospital Ambassador, “Lennie” who typically goes into a mid-winter funk is more animated this year because he’s working closely with us on a very special program. Watch this column for breaking news about “Lennie’s Fan Club.”

Although Mother Nature has taken pity on us so far this winter that doesn’t mean we’re totally out of the seaweed. You know what they say about people who don’t learn from history. Please continue to keep a lookout for any turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Shop every Tuesday

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Taking ‘terns

Karen Sota — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:17:31 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

Taking ‘terns

Long ago we had about three or so, and only during the summer. But as our reputation for having one of the best (uncompensated) opportunities for hands-on experience with sea turtles grew so did our stable of interns. Now no matter what time of year it is you can’t turn around without tripping over an intern or a visiting extern. The latest addition to our roster is Wyatt Allen, who graduated from Wake Forest in December with a BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Japanese.

Wyatt’s introduction to our hospital came many years ago before our building was constructed. He remembers turtles in outdoor tanks, and lots of visitors in line. Although he never made it back until a few weeks ago his family kept him informed of our progress and work by sending him articles. And his fascination and love of sea turtles (and whales) never diminished. Wyatt says that our winter internship allows him to “live out my childhood dream” while contemplating his next step, work or grad school in Marine Biology.

Photo: Intern Wyatt Allen gives ‘Lefty’ (and his tank) a good scrub. Can you believe he’s just a bit over three years old? Lefty, that is, not Wyatt!

Wyatt views our internship as a chance to get intimately acquainted with marine animals that have a variety of medical challenges, specifically animals that are in rehab with one goal, returning home. He loves all aspects of the work at our hospital, from husbandry to medical treatments. Although he anticipated the long, dirty and smelly days of working with sea turtles he had no idea that “other duties as assigned” would include babysitting our water treatment system. But he’s actually happy for that experience since it’s a transferrable skill for anyone considering making a career out of working with animals that live in water.

The old adage “there’s somebody for everyone” holds true at our hospital, too. Wyatt very quickly found a very favorite patient, a little Green called “Scuter.” Although the baby Greens are pretty darn cute with absolutely stunning patterns on their carapace there’s a bit more to this particular attraction. Since Scuter will one day convert from omnivore to herbivore he gets some lettuce along with his morning meal of squid and fish. But he’s not happy if it’s just floating randomly around his tank. Scuter rustles it up with his flippers and corrals it into a little “salad.” Pass the balsamic, please. Wyatt’s also fallen under the spell of a little Kemp’s called “Snaggle.” Named for his deformed beak, a long-healed injury present when he was admitted Snaggle is just goofy looking enough to be called adorable.

Wyatt arrived just about the same time as our two cold-stun Loggerheads, and is amazed at their rapid progress from frozen to fabulous. It’s hard to describe the amazing capacity these critters have to recover given the proper medical care and lots of TLC. Like Wyatt, you have to just see it happen literally before your eyes to believe it.

Wyatt will be with us for several months while deciding on his next move. He may delay grad school for an opportunity to relocate to Japan to teach English in a more rural area of that country. He was in Japan during the earthquake and tsunami, but says he was far enough away to be out of any real danger. In the meantime he’ll continue working with us during the day (and night) and enjoy playing games in the company of his fellow interns/externs.

Tuesday is shopping day

Don’t forget that our gift shop is open every Tuesday until further notice. Just knock on our hospital door between 9 AM and 11 AM any Tuesday and tell us you’re ready to buy! You’ll be escorted to our gift shop annex for some personal shopping time. Preview some of the items we have available online at our website before you come and remember, we can only accept cash and checks at this time. You can also shop for our logo T’s year-round at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach. Lori has been carrying our shirts for years; flipper hugs, lady. But if you can’t make it to our annex or Lori’s shop please use the online ordering service.

Our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org is open year-round. Stay connected with our patients and the progress of the new hospital. We’re stocked with clothing and other gifts and goodies perfect for turtle lovers. Follow the links to “Adopt-A-Sea-Turtle,” we have some pretty high maintenance patients who need all the financial and moral support you can provide. There’s still time to add your family’s name to our wall of fame with the “Family Giving Challenge.”

Cold-stuns on the mend

The two large juvenile Loggerheads we admitted several weeks ago with unbelievably low body temps are on the road to recovery. “RC” and “SSN NC” are lookin’ good, with very healthy appetites. They’re finishing up their last few rounds of antibiotics, administered to stave off any effects of their ordeal, especially pneumonia. We’re betting that we haven’t seen the last cold-stun come through our doors, especially with the roller coaster temps of this winter. Please continue to keep a lookout for any turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. The winter newsletter has been sent out, but I’ve had a few non-deliverables. If your e-mail address has recently changed please send me your new one so I can update my master list. You can also access the newsletter from our website.

Service with a smile!

Karen Sota — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:07:54 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

Service with a smile!

One thing we’ve learned over the past fifteen years is that sea turtles possess an amazing amount of animal magnetism, and I’m not just referring to the mysterious way that they decode the magnetic forces of the earth to ply the oceans. My point is: they attract a lot of attention, which means that we get a lot of “company” at our hospital.

We maintain ongoing relationships with many colleges and universities, most notably with the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, UNCG and UNCW. Last Monday we welcomed a group from UNCG’s Office of Leadership And Service-Learning which offers students an alternative, non-credit way to spend their semester break and develop their leadership skills through service.

Photo: Alex, NIkki and Katelynn finishing up with bathtime for the Greens.

Ann Somers, a professor at UNCG brings her students to our hospital several times a year. This year two of her protégés created a syllabus for a service trip and signed on to guide the group. The program is open to any student in good standing, which explains how we ended up working with quite a variety of ages and majors, ranging from Art to Couple’s Counseling to Parks and Recreation. Hey – we’ll talk sea turtle to anyone who will listen!

Photo: Nikki and Katelynn assist hospital volunteer Ginger with measurements.

A good many of our guests had no idea what to expect, and we found ourselves smiling at their unbridled enthusiasm and pure joy. They were elated to be sharing the same building with our turtles, feeding them their morning rations, scooping their tanks, giving baths and inhaling the unique garlic breath of a healthy patient. Comments included: “I didn’t realize how big they were,” and “I thought they were really mellow but they’re very, very strong!” But their biggest “ah-hah” moment was discovering that sea turtles do, indeed have distinct personalities. It was love at first sight and after one trip around the tanks they declared which turtle was their absolute favorite, and could tell you exactly why.

Photo: It might look like an episode of “American Pickers” but it’s the rest of the UNCG crew sorting through our collection of PVC pipe.

We had expected to be firmly ensconced in the new hospital by now, but since we’re still in our little turtle shack we had to find creative ways for them to “service” us. While rotating groups of three worked inside, the rest of their crew toiled outdoors in the coldest weather of the Winter under the direction of our defacto maintenance guru, Jennifer. Rehabbing sea turtles requires a lot of stuff, and thanks to the UNCG group our treasure trove of PVC pipe and fittings has been sorted, cleaned and labeled for transport and use in the new facility. In fact, pretty much everything lying in storage in our yard has had a good look-see and general clean-up.

Hopefully the experience gave them a greater understanding of why we do what we do, and just how hard our work is. When I asked Nikki Kennard, a graduate student who happened to be working inside with my Tuesday crew what she thought about the trip she replied. “it’s one of the best days of my life and I’m happy as a clam.” I told them to be sure to spread the word back in Greensboro and got a “no way” in reply. Seems they don’t want their friends to find out because they want to ensure a spot for themselves next year!

Gift shop open every Tuesday

We will continue to open our gift shop every Tuesday until further notice. To shop on Tuesday just knock on our hospital door between 9 AM and 11 AM and our gift shop guru will personally escort you to our annex where she’ll assist you. Check out some of our merchandise on line before you come, and remember we can only accept cash and checks at this time. You can also shop for our logo T’s year-round at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach. Lori has been carrying our shirts for years; flipper hugs, lady. But if you can’t make it to our annex or Lori’s shop please use the online ordering service.

Yep – we’ve been stunned

Now that Winter has officially reared its very unwelcome head the cold-stuns have arrived. And once they start coming we usually get them in by the dozen. Last week we admitted two large juvenile Loggerheads. They’ve been slowly warmed and are recovering with a protocol of antibiotics and lots of chow to help them regain their strength.

We rely on the help of our residents and visitors to identify and report victims of the cold weather, and you all really came through. Please continue to keep a lookout for any turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. The Winter newsletter has been sent out, but I’ve had a few non-deliverables. If your e-mail address has recently changed please send me your new one so I can update my master list. You can also access the newsletter from our website.

Caroling, Caroling

Karen Sota — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:37:20 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

Caroling, Caroling

Sea turtles are just full of surprises, and since they live solitary lives and never return to shore (except as a mama with eggs) their many talents remain largely undiscovered and unappreciated. But once our patients recover from their illness or injury and get bored swimming in circles they start thinking of ways to amuse themselves, and us.

Over the years we’ve had artists (Wendy, Lennie, Nubbin, Brownie); poets (Nubbin, Lennie) and composers (again, Lennie; are you seeing why he’s our hospital Ambassador?) Most turtle performances happen in the privacy of the hospital for the entertainment of the troops, our volunteers. But one tech-savvy Kemp’s Ridley chose to reach out via social media to everyone who supports us with a special Christmas greeting. After rehearsing for hours “Bishop” enlisted the help of the Sunday crew to put together the final production. He would like to thank Olivia Gaitros (cinematography) and Beth Howard (director/vocals) for making his dream come true.

You can view Bishop’s debut music video on YouTube. The easiest way to access it is via our hospital Facebook page. Go to our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org. Click on the Facebook link, and then click on “Sea Turtle Sings Holiday Greeting.” Sit back and enjoy the performance, or sing along!

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

…a new hospital. All of the necessary infrastructure inspections have been completed, and now drywall is going up over the “guts.” Pretty soon the inside will look, well, pretty. But there’s still a lot to do, especially regarding the plumbing for sea turtle bay. We’ve had years of experience “going with the flow” of water that keeps our turtles toasty and floating happily in their tanks, but it’s tough to explain to someone not familiar with the intricacies of our particular system and needs just how it works, and how to put it together. Sometimes it’s just easier and quicker to turn it into a do-it-yourself project. We’re still a few months away from calling the place “home” but at least we can see the light at the end of the very long hallway that runs the length of our building.

Thank you all for believing in our work and our turtles as we’ve struggled to raise both the funding and the building itself over the past few years. Christmas blessings, flipper hugs and turtle kisses for a happy and healthy 2012.

Gift Shop remains open

Can this continue?

Although we’ve been lucky so far Old Man Winter has a nasty habit of sneaking up on you overnight, so it’s especially important that our residents and visitors be on the lookout for turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving please don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. The Winter newsletter has been sent out, but I’ve had a few non-deliverables. If your e-mail address has recently changed please send me your new one so I can update my master list. You can also access the newsletter from our website.

It’s on the books

Karen Sota — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:53:48 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

It’s on the books

The first “Canine 5K & One-Mile Turtle Crawl” is history. The event, sponsored by McColl & Associates and benefitting our hospital and Canines for Veterans was held December 3^rd at the Mayfaire Town Center. Eighty-five runners, quite a few of them with their very fit and well-behaved dogs turned out, geared up and ready to roll through the perfect cool and sunny morning. And kudos to hospital volunteers Ginger and Lisa who strapped on their running shoes for the cause and ended up with very respectable times.

But it wasn’t a runners-only crowd. Our hospital mascot (Elijah, you looked “mahvalous” in plush) made a special appearance and brought along a few of his human friends for the Turtle Crawl. Although many of our patients really wanted to participate (anything for a ride in a car and a few hours out of their tank) Ms. Jean once again explained to them that, winter + reptile = cold-stunned turtle. So to appease them Ambassador Lennie appointed a very large and well-insulated special deputy to represent his peers. Carried on our turtle rescue board for the entire mile by hospital volunteers Jennifer, Amanda and Nancé the humongous stuffed turtle was cheered on to the finish line by an enthusiastic crowd, and one very inquisitive canine.

Photo: Our hospital volunteers and mascot get ready for the “Turtle Crawl.” (Photo credit: Roy Henry)

Big, wet flippers hugs to McColl & Associates, Inc. organizers of the run/crawl and sponsors of 2011 hospital graduate “Gravely.” The date (12/1/12) for next year has already been set, so mark your calendars and get your flippers in shape.

Gift Shop hours

Business has been brisk on Tuesdays with people dropping by the hospital with checks and cash in-hand ready to buy, buy, buy. We will continue to open our gift shop every Tuesday until further notice, but the last Saturday to shop for your turtle merchandise will be December 17^th. On Saturday, from 10 AM to 2 PM come directly to the annex at 706 Carolina Blvd., the small house directly behind “The Gift Basket.” To shop on Tuesday just knock on our hospital door between 9 AM and 11 AM and our gift shop guru will personally escort you to our annex where she’ll assist you. Check out some of our merchandise on line before you come, and remember we can only accept cash and checks at this time. You can also shop for our logo T’s year-round at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach. Lori has been carrying our shirts for years; flipper hugs, lady. But if you can’t make it to our annex or Lori’s shop please use the online ordering service, and shop early for the best selection of styles and colors.

Stunningly quiet

I ‘m probably tempting karma by mentioning this but the typical onslaught of cold-stunned turtles arriving at our hospital by now, well, isn’t. We were all (humans and turtles) lulled into thinking the warm December days would last forever. But now we’ve been slapped back into reality by the thirty-degree nights and it’s especially important that our residents and visitors be on the lookout for turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving please don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. I’ll be doing a newsletter before Christmas. This column will appear every other week until next Spring, unless something really exciting happens.

Will that be plastic, or plastic?

Karen Sota — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:31:15 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

Will that be plastic, or plastic?

When Mr. McGuire told Benjamin that he had one word for him, “plastics” we all laughed. That was in the movie “The Graduate” and the year was 1967. Forty-four years later it’s not so funny.

Our hospital recently played host to Captain Charles Moore at the Surf City Welcome Center. Charlie is credited with discovering The Great Pacific Garbage Patch and is touring the east coast with his new book “Plastic Ocean.” This massive island of floating debris is in the North Pacific Gyre, spanning the Pacific from Japan to California with the Hawaiian Islands at its center. The graphics in his presentation are just that, extremely graphic, especially the animated timelines showing just how much garbage has been swirled into what should be pristine water, both in the past and into the future. It’s a mess out there, and it won’t be long before it’s coming to a neighborhood beach near you. This is only one of the five planetary gyres that have been churning up what we’ve been throwing away for decades.

We’ve seen the effects of ocean litter on our patients for years, and have quite a collection of “things I ate because it looked like food to me;” pretty much all of it is some form of plastic. And if our turtles are eating it you can be sure everything else in the oceans is making the same mistake. It moves up the food chain with the bigger predators eating the smaller ones, eventually ending up on our dinner tables. Biodegradable does not mean gone forever, and our bodies have not evolved to effectively deal with the kind of pollutants we’re ingesting.

Not only are the fish eating the plastic but these massive rafts of debris have created habitats for formerly non-pelagic fish. Species of reef fish are now finding that everything from large drums to tiny bottles are an excellent place to call home, feeding on the algae that grow on them, eating the degraded plastic pellet “soup” and using them as a place to hide. Although more fish might not sound so bad on the surface Captain Moore is quick to point out that it’s a major disruption to the ecosystem, introducing new species into areas where they are doing more harm than good.

And it’s not just “us”. Consumers in the newly emerging economies of China and India embrace all things plastic, from actual products to the plastic they’re wrapped in. Think about it: there’s almost nothing you can buy that you don’t have to literally break into! It’s a different world from the one we aging baby boomers grew up in, when the milk was delivered in glass bottles and we drank water out of the garden hose (horrors!) when we got thirsty. And we somehow survived lugging all those empty Pepsi bottles back to the store for the two-cent deposit. Charlie’s description of entire cities of tsunami debris riding the gyre and heading for the Hawaiian Islands is alarming and frightening, and there are no plans to deal with it.

We as consumers must rethink our lifestyles, and what we think we “need” or it might not be too long until the prediction of the late comedian George Carlin comes true: the planet will shake us humans off like a bad case of fleas, leaving behind a new paradigm, “Earth Plus Plastic.” You can purchase signed copies of “Plastic Ocean” locally at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach for the whole story.

A slow start

Not that we’re complaining about not being overrun with cold-stunned turtles. These seventy-degree days can’t last forever no matter how much we wish they would, so we still need the help of our residents and visitors to be on the lookout for turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving please don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Our Gift Shop Annex open Tuesdays & Saturdays!

Business has been booming on Tuesdays so we’ve expanded our hours to include Saturday. Just knock on our hospital door between 9 AM and 11 AM on any Tuesday and we’ll direct you a few short blocks down the street where our gift shop guru, Peggy will assist you with your holiday shopping. On Saturday, from 10 AM to 2 PM come directly to the annex at 706 Carolina Blvd., the small house directly behind “The Gift Basket.” Visit us online for gift ideas before you come, and remember we can only accept cash and checks at this time. You can also shop for our logo T’s year-round at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach. Lori has been carrying our shirts for years; flipper hugs, lady. But if you can’t make it to our annex or Lori’s shop please use the online ordering service, and shop early for the best selection of styles and colors.

Run – quick!

Only a few more days to sign up for the “Canine 5K & One-Mile Turtle Crawl” being held on December 3^rd at the Mayfaire Town Center. Bring yourself, family, friends and your dog! Although our patients got pretty excited when they heard the hospital will be sharing in the proceeds along with Canines for Veterans we had to turn down their requests to join in the turtle crawl – just too cold out for reptiles. McColl & Associates, Inc. adoptive parents of 2011 hospital graduate “Gravely” are the organizers of the event. You can register online at: its-go-time.com/canine-5k. Flipper hugs to our friends at McColl & Associates!

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. I’ll be doing a newsletter before Christmas. This column will appear every other week until next Spring, unless something really exciting happens.

Bed, board and a big boat

Karen Sota — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:00:43 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

Bed, board and a big boat

Sometimes grandma has to watch the kids, and that’s especially true when mama turtle lays a nest in late August then heads out of town for warmer climes. Luckily for our Topsail Island hatchlings there’s a whole passel of “nanas” ready to love and care for any November babies.

Photo: Hatchlings get their specially prepared breakfast.

After all these years neither the Topsail Turtle Project volunteers nor the hospital crew should have been too surprised to find that over fifty hatchlings somehow managed to survive hurricane damage and the up-and-down weather of this month. So when a bucketful of joy arrived at our facility a short time ago we again converted our tiny bathroom into high-rise hatchling condos.

Photo: The crew and hatchlings at the “carapace wash.”

Sorted by size and physical condition the kids were either given private rooms or bunked together in a dorm. After a day or so to acclimate to their temporary world it was time to introduce some food. Normally they would have been nourished by their yolk sack which provides enough energy for their swim to the drift lines of the Sargasso Sea. But there was no way we were sacrificing these critters to the cold inshore waters. It was time to mix up our special recipe of hatchling food, based mostly on reptile pellets mashed with other secret ingredients. Years of development in our sea turtle test kitchen has finally produced a product we can proudly claim as “preferred by 9 out of 10 hatchlings.”

All that mushy food and its “by-product” leaves the patient and their bed a bit of a mess, so it’s bath time followed by a clean bowl of sea water. Fifty baths involve most of the daily crew working together to minimize the amount of handling and stress on these babes. Sometimes you don’t realize just how tiny these guys are until they’re in the hands of one of our largest volunteers, Brian. His gentleness with these critters was amazing to watch.

Photo: Our biggest and our smallest in a bonding moment

Now as cute as these little turtles are it’s just not our mission to warehouse hatchlings. As soon as they came in Jean was on the phone searching for a ride that would take them to where Mother Nature intended, out in the Gulf Stream. After lots of phone calls they were finally booked on their cruise, courtesy of a research vessel from Duke Marine Labs. As you read this they are (hopefully) munching, lazing in the sargassum seaweed and growing into big, strong Loggerheads.

The “season” starts

They’re here; our second cold-stunned turtle, a little Green named “Veteran” arrived on Friday, November 11^th. This is the time of year we plead with our residents and visitors to be especially vigilant for turtles you see stranded on the beach, in the grasses along the shore and in the water. If it’s not moving please don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Vote for us!

Chase Community Giving is back with over $3 Million in donations for charities, and we’re asking for your vote to get us to their list of finalists. Go to “Chase Community Giving” on Facebook and click “Chase Giving” on the left hand side of the page. Find our hospital and VOTE. There are only a few more days, so log and make sure our turtles aren’t left out in the cold, in more ways than one!

Shop at our Gift Shop Annex every Tuesday

The word is spreading that our gift shop is open on Tuesdays, and the shoppers are arriving armed with their lists and checkbooks. Just knock on our hospital door between 9 AM and 11 AM on any Tuesday and we’ll direct you a few short blocks down the street to our “gift shop annex” where we stock our merchandise off season. Check us out online for gift ideas, and remember we can only accept cash and checks at this time.

If business (or demand) picks up we may be opening the annex on an additional day, Saturday, sometime before Thanksgiving and through Christmas. You can also shop for our logo T’s year-round at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach. Lori has been carrying our shirts for years; flipper hugs, lady. But if you can’t make it to our annex or Lori’s shop please use the online ordering service, and shop early for the best selection of styles and colors.

Two and four-legged runners welcome

There’s still plenty of time to sign up for the “Canine 5K & One-Mile Turtle Crawl” being held on December 3^rd at the Mayfaire Town Center. And your dog is not only invited to come with you but encouraged to participate. Although our patients got pretty excited when they heard the hospital will be sharing in the proceeds along with Canines for Veterans we had to turn down their requests to join in the turtle crawl. Honestly, these critters will try anything to get a day out! McColl & Associates, Inc. adoptive parents of 2011 hospital graduate “Gravely” are the organizers of the event. You can register online at: its-go-time.com/canine-5k. Flipper hugs to our friends at McColl & Associates!

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. I’ll be doing a newsletter shortly after Thanksgiving. This column will appear every other week until next Spring, unless something really exciting happens.

Phoning it in

Karen Sota — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 06:08:52 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

Phoning it in

I’ve mentioned many times that our residents and visitors play a vital role in our hospital mission of rescue, rehabilitate and release. One of our newest patients, a Kemp’s Ridley known as “Number Two” owes his life to two ladies who just happened to be in town during the time he stranded on the beach.

Photo: Peg Schill (rescuer of “Number Two”) stops by to give him some encouragement, and to do some early holiday shopping at our gift shop annex!

Sisters Peg Schill and Chris Mooney have been coming to Topsail Beach since their parents built a house on the island in the 60’s. Both ladies eventually bought their own homes here, coming down whenever they could to enjoy the ocean and the critters that live in it. It was on their most recent visit that Chris saw what she thought was a large rock, or possibly some debris on the beach and went to investigate. As she got closer she realized that she was dealing with a sea turtle in distress and immediately enlisted the help of her sister. Peg headed to the shore with a large towel, which she soaked in sea water and placed on the turtle to keep him cool and moist. This little guy had been out there for who knows how long, exposed to the sun, wind and predators and the sisters took on the role of guardians until help could be located.

Knowing that I always include emergency contact numbers for turtle emergencies in this column Peg started with step one, calling our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer. After leaving a voice mail for her she located a number for one of our beach coordinators (Debbie Grady) but got her husband, who passed along Jean’s number. Now if you’ve ever attempted to contact Jean by phone you know the only time you’re surprised is if she actually answers. She’s one busy lady who should have a customer service center to handle her calls (and her e-mails!)

By this time the rescue-in-progress was attracting attention from some other ladies who happened to be walking the beach. As they put their collective heads together as to how to proceed (one secured an umbrella and kept this poor little guy shaded from the hot sun) Peg kept working the phone lines, calling the Town Hall and the Police Department who could only pass along phone numbers she had already tried. Peg persisted (“they can’t speak for themselves and somebody had to get him help!”) and after almost an hour our interns (Amanda and Lisa) were located and transported this critter to the hospital. When I asked Peg how she felt when the cavalry arrived she answered “relieved!” She said, “I knew he was going to a place where he’d be well taken care of, and that he would recover and be released.” The whole time she was burning up the phone lines “all I could think about was getting help for the turtle.”

Flipper hugs to Peg and Chris for knowing what to do, and doing whatever it took to give “Number
Two” a second chance.

Preparing to be stunned

With the cold weather quickly approaching we’re expecting it won’t be long before we begin getting calls about turtles stranding on our beaches and inland waterways. At the hospital we refer to this as our “cold stun season.” When the air temperature drops quickly the shallower waters cool first, and very rapidly. Typically it’s the smaller turtles that have been feeding on the algae and crustaceans along the shores that often don’t make it out of Dodge before becoming victims of the cold, but turtles of all sizes are equally susceptible under extreme conditions.

If you see a sea turtle anywhere (on the beach, in the grasses along the shore, in the water) that is not moving please don’t assume it is dead. It might be cold stunned, and when rescued in time the prognosis for these critters is excellent.

Please report any and all local sea turtle activity (hatchings, strandings, injured or sick turtles) immediately to our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at 910-470-2880. We still have a few nests that have not hatched, so be especially vigilant for late hatchlings. Terry can be reached at: topsailseaturtle@aol.com for non-emergencies. All sea turtles are federally protected and harassing or harming them in any way will result in hefty fines and/or imprisonment.

Gift Shop Annex now open on Tuesdays

Our online gift shop has been busy, busy, busy. Our exclusive T-shirt designs are favorite gift items, and we have lots of other cool turtle stuff that moves off the shelves almost as quickly as we stock them.

By popular demand (people showing up at our door asking if they could buy a T-shirt) and in plenty of time for the holidays we’re giving you a chance to shop every Tuesday morning.

Just knock on our hospital door between 9 AM and 11 AM on any Tuesday and we’ll direct you a few short blocks down the street to our “gift shop annex” where we stock our merchandise off season. You might want to check out the items online first, and then come prepared with your list to make your shopping quick and painless. We can only accept cash and checks at this time.

If this experiment proves successful we may be opening the annex on an additional day, Saturday, sometime before Thanksgiving and through Christmas. You can also shop for our logo T’s year-round at QuarterMoon Bookstore in Topsail Beach. Lori has been carrying our shirts for years; flipper hugs, lady. But if you can’t make it to our annex or Lori’s shop please use the online ordering service, and shop early for the best selection of styles and colors.

Like to run?

Here’s your chance to run like the wind or crawl like a turtle, and our hospital benefits from your participation.

A “Canine 5K & One-Mile Turtle Crawl” will be held on December 3^rd at the Mayfaire Town Center. And bring your best running buddy, your dog to this is the event because participation by the pup is encouraged. Sorry, but you can’t take one of our turtles for the Turtle Crawl. The organizers are McColl & Associates, Inc. adoptive parents of 2011 hospital graduate “Gravely.” Proceeds from the run/crawl will be shared by two worthy causes, our hospital and Canines for Veterans. You can register online at: its-go-time.com/canine-5k. Flipper hugs to our friends at McColl & Associates!

Questions, comments, suggestions??

Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions re: this column to me at: flippers@att.net. To be added to the newsletter list e-mail me at the same address: flippers@att.net. I’ll be doing a newsletter shortly after Thanksgiving. This column will appear every other week until next Spring, unless something really exciting happens.

Closing, and opening

Karen Sota — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:52:24 +0000

Sea Turtle Hospital News

Closing, and opening

We’ve all heard the saying, “when one door closes another one opens.” Even though we’ve officially closed our hospital here on the island to the public we’re not quite ready to open those other doors, the ones to our new facility. If you’ve ever had anything built you know how frustrating delays can be. We especially wished for our new building with the admittance of three Kemps within the past few days.

Since literally everybody we run into has been asking “when are you going to open?” I’ll give you the answer: we don’t know. We can see that progress is being made; just this past week the interior rooms were framed. Every step forward brings us closer to completion.

Photo: Kemp’s Ridley “Friday” demonstrates his best flying form, hoping for a spot on an Air Force recruiting poster

So how do we stay positive and keep focused on that new building just down the road? It’s because of you; our visitors and supporters. You continued to come and stand in line for hours during the entire summer, and most recently during Autumn with Topsail. And despite the stagnant economy you kept tossing big bills into our donation jar and leaving with bags full of merchandise from our gift shop. You arrived with your completed paperwork and checks in-hand ready to “Adopt-A-Sea-Turtle” and embrace the “Family Giving Challenge.” You call, you write, you keep donating and we are grateful beyond words.

It’s because of you, and a building full of sick sea turtles depending on us to literally keep them alive that we’ll never give up, never become discouraged to the point of despair. When we open our new hospital it will truly be a time for everybody to join us in the celebration.

Topsail Turtle Project

The beach program is winding down, and with the cool nights settling in we’re really hoping to get those last few nests hatched and the little critters safely out to the warm ocean waters. But it’s not just the hatchlings that are in danger of being debilitated with the dropping temperatures. It’s getting into “cold stun season” at the hospital, and we can’t stress enough the importance that residents and visitors play in our efforts by being observant and notifying us of any sea turtle events. Please report any and all sea turtle activity (hatchings, strandings, injured or sick turtles) immediately to our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at 910-470-2880. Please reach her at: topsailseaturtle@aol.com for non-emergencies. All sea turtles are federally protected and harassing or harming them in any way will result in hefty fines and/or imprisonment.

Walk, run and eat

There are several upcoming events that will benefit our hospital.

For runners and walkers there’s a “Canine 5K & One-Mile Turtle Crawl” being held on December 3^rd at the Mayfaire Town Center. If you’re best running buddy happens to be your dog this is the event for you because you can bring the pup along! Sorry, but you can’t take one of our turtles for the Turtle Crawl. In fact, you’d be surprised at just how much paperwork is involved for a patient road trip – that’s a whole column!

The organizers for this event are McColl & Associates, Inc. adoptive parents of 2011 hospital graduate “Gravely.” Proceeds from the run/crawl will be shared by two worthy causes, our hospital and Canines for Veterans. You can register online at: its-go-time.com/canine-5k.

If you’re looking for a great meal and a way to support our hospital take your appetite to Ruby Tuesday’s on Market Street in Wilmington October 21^st through 23^rd. To insure that our hospital receives the donation you must pick up and use the flyer, which will be available at their door. You can also e-mail Jean (loggerhead@aol.com) or me (flippers@att.net) and we will e-mail you the flyer, or you can download yourself from our facebook page.

Thank’s and flipper hugs to McColl & Associates and Ruby Tuesday’s for your support of our sick and injured sea turtles.

Visit and shop online

Our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org is open year-round. Stay connected with our patients and the progress of the new hospital. Start thinking about your holiday shopping list because we’re stocked with clothing and other gifts and goodies perfect for turtle lovers. Follow the links to “Adopt-A-Sea-Turtle,” we have some pretty high maintenance patients who need all the financial and moral support you can provide. There’s still time to add your family’s name to our wall of fame with the “Family Giving Challenge.”

Questions, comments & e-newsletter

Contact me at: flippers@att.net with any questions, comments or suggestions. This column will be appearing every other week until next Spring, unless something really exciting happens. To be added to our mailing list (newsletter, announcements, etc.) send your name and e-mail information to me at the same address: flippers@att.net. I’ll be doing a newsletter shortly after Thanksgiving.