As they were walking early this morning, Allison, Jill and Terry saw a lump of sand in the shallow water just beyond the water line. As they approached, they realized it was not sand but a sea turtle floating with the waves.
Closer examination, this turtle was alive!
Every so often it would raise it's head or blink it's eyes.
SCDNR was quickly called and it was soon decided to transport to the SC Sea Turtle Hospital in Charleston.
The turtles skin was covered with ulcers, the skin on it's flippers had deteriorated so much the bones were showing through. It was thought to be suffering from SCUD-septic cutaneous ulcerative disease, a bacterial skin infection.
A wet towel was placed on the turtle to keep it cool.
Huge barnacles covered its carapace.
Sadly, although alive when it arrived at the hospital and despite the great efforts of the whole hospital staff, the infection was to severe and the turtle died.
Thank you so much Allison, Jill and Terry. Thank you NMB Beach Services for helping us get the turtle off the beach. She was a fairly good size, much to heavy to be carried any distance.
Thank you SC DNR for helping transport to the Hospital and a big thanks to the staff of the SC Sea Turtle Hospital. As Jeff from S.C.U.T.E. told me, "We can't save them all, but we can sure try!"
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