On Saturday, July 31st the NYMRC received a call about a 300 lb. loggerhead sea turtle that had stranded near Bellport Bay in Brookhaven, NY. With the help of Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) National Parks Service (NPS), the NYMRC rescue team was able to get the animal off the beach and into our response vehicle where it was immediately transferred to our hospital located in Riverhead, NY. Upon admit, a full assessment was performed by our senior staff and a treatment plan was developed.
We estimate that this adult female is over 30 years old. In keeping with our Rock and Roll naming theme, we felt that the name Queen was the best fit for this tremendous turtle. Queen was diagnosed with debilitated turtle syndrome which consists of dehydration, malnutrition, starvation, fatigue, and buoyance issues. Treatment for this animal includes fluid therapy, vitamin supplements, topical care and antibiotics. After just one month in rehab, she is currently eating well, getting about 4 lbs. of food per day including squid, clam and live blue crabs.
On Tuesday, August 31st we transferred the turtle to our large outdoor tank, which is the only tank in our facility that is large enough to accommodate a sea turtle of her size. Our team is closely monitoring her, but she is acclimating to the new tank and enjoying her new space.
Our ultimate goal is to release Queen back to her natural habitat. Depending on the next few weeks, Queen can be released as early as this Fall or next Spring. Over the next few weeks, we hope to see Queen continue to get stronger and gain weight before her release. When Queen is released, she will be satellite tagged by our Rescue Program Director Maxine Montello which will allow us to track her behavior and movement pattern post-release. All satellite tagged individuals can be tracked on our website www.nymarinerescue.org.
Maxine Montello, Rescue Program Director says, “This is the largest sea turtle the NYMRC has had in rehabilitation and we believe one of the largest hard-shell turtle species that has been rehabilitated within our stranding network (Maine-Virginia). We are excited to see her progress over the next few weeks.”
It will likely cost, at least $25,000 to rehabilitate Queen, if not more. If you are interested in making a donation to Queen’s care, you can do so through our website at www.nymarinerescue.org. While you are there, you can also adopt Queen and receive updates about her ongoing care.
