April 2018

April 2018 started off slow, the weather was colder than normal, very windy.  After several hours of intense thunderstorms, two visitors from Vermont and Upstate NY decided to take advantage of the break in storms and walk the beach, hoping to find some good shells.  It didn't matter that it was after midnight, dark, cold and windy.

They soon came across more than what they were looking for,  a large mound of sand high on the beach, investigation revealed not sand, but a large sea turtle.  As they were looking at it, it raised it's head to breathe.  Too cold, too weak to move, it just sat there.

Soon the NMB Sea Turtle Patrol was called, a 2AM trip to 48th Ave S, the turtle was quickly deemed to be suffering from cold stun as well as very sick.  This turtles head and neck was covered with algae, giving it the appearance of being very "hairy."  The turtle was quickly removed from the beach, out of the cold wind and rain.  Transported to the SC Sea Turtle Care Center where it was quickly named Hagrid after the hairy, Harry Potter character. 

"Hagrid’s body temperature was in the upper 50s and his heart rate was extremely low- about 3 beats per minute. Knowing his body temperature was low ahead of time, we lowered the room temperature so that Hagrid did not warm up too quickly. A blood draw was taken to better access his critical condition. ........Hagrid was  started on antibiotics, and calcium injections to help replenish the calcium lost due to debilitation. Hagrid was covered in a heavy epibiota load, and algae covered the top of his head, face and front flippers which made his look “hairy”. Once stabilized, Hagrid’s heart rate improved slightly, and he was placed in a waterbed made of foam and shallow low-salinity water to rest comfortably. Hagrid is the first DTS patient to be admitted this year."

Sea Turtle activity continued in April with not one, not two but three strandings called in on the same day.

April 25, The morning began with a call from Cherry Grove Pier, hooked turtle, we have it on the pier.  Quick run down to pier.....beautiful, large Kemps Ridley, hooked in flipper.....excellent condition, a little bump on the nose, the turtle was released into the ocean.  A huge thanks to Cherry Grove Pier for taking care of this turtle

Barley out of parking lot when NMB Beach Patrol calls, we have a dead sea turtle at 24th Ave S......Quick trip down to discover a large loggerhead at the water line.  Poor guy was in horrible shape, had been dead and floating for a while, bones exposed....

Later same day, another call from Cherry Grove Pier, another hooked turtle....This was another Kemps, hooked in flipper and plastron.  Again, was properly brought up onto Pier using a net, barbs of hooks were cut and hooks pushed out with minimum damage.  The turtle was released.....