Yesterday, a local fisherman brought in a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle that was accidentally caught in a cast net at Fiddler's Point. We named it Flower because this is our first Spring sea turtle of the year! Here, you will get to see how we do our first initial checkup on any sea turtles that we rescue. Flower will be going to the vet tomorrow for further, detailed inspection. We will keep you updated on her recovery and eventual release back into the sea!
An unexpected side effect of the ongoing COVID-19 virus is that we have been getting a lot more reports of sea turtle stranding. We have responded to two other sea turtle stranding reports in the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the injuries sustained were very severe and they did not make it. With businesses closed, people are spending more time outdoors, which increases the risk of boat strike incidents to wildlife at sea. A majority of boat strike incidents can be fatal towards sea turtles because of the massive blunt force trauma produced. You can help by slowing down in known sea turtle foraging grounds or by keeping a safe speed and distance from any sea animals. If you are stuck at home and bored, the aquarists at Gulf Specimen have planned weekly live streams on Facebook, every Friday. We will be bringing the aquarium to you since you can't come to us! Please stay safe and practice social distancing.
Sincerely,
Alyson Chin
Aquarist at Gulf Specimen Aquarium
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