Why: Conservation of endangered animals
All sea turtles that appear in local waters are either endangered or threatened. Most years some turtles are stranded on Cape and/or island beaches when the waters turn cold and the animals’ body temperatures drop, leaving them unable to swim south. Because the turtles are endangered, they are given critical care and a period of rehabilitation, and then are tagged and released when the waters are at their warmest, in August or September.

Who: Quiddick and Kiwi
For details on Quiddick and Kiwi in rehab, click: HERE

To track Quiddick and Kiwi click: HERE

Quiddick
The green turtle (nicknamed Quiddick) stranded on Chapaquiddick Island in mid-November. An avid bird watcher/naturalist pulled the 17-pound turtle out of the surf and took it to the Vineyard Veterinary Clinic, where Dr. Bridget Dunnigan, a WHSA veterinarian, performed emergency treatment. The turtle was sent to New England Aquarium where veterinarians did blood work, took x-rays, and administered fluids and antibiotics (when turtles are cold-stunned, their immune systems shut down, leaving them at risk for infection for weeks or even months).

Quiddick was moved to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium on February 4, where aquarium staff and volunteers cared for him and the aquarium medical staff monitored his condition. In the WHSA, the turtle ate herring and squid and grew to his present weight of 30 pounds. The turtle was tagged on September 7 with a PIT tag beneath the skin of its shoulder, and two stainless steel tags on its rear flippers. On release, it was also tagged with a satellite tag fixed with adhesive to its shell. The satellite tag will tell biologists where the turtle travels over the next 6-24 months. The other tags will only give information if the turtle stranded again and the tags are recovered and reported.

Kiwi
The Kemp’s ridley (nicknamed Kiwi) stranded November 13 on a beach in Dennis. The 17 pound turtle was taken to New England Aquarium for critical care that included blood work, x-rays, fluids and antibiotics. The turtle was anemic and had wounds from being banged around in the surf. It (the gender of turtles is difficult to determine) developed lameness in its front left flipper. Vets at NEAq performed a bone scan, an MRI and a CT scan, and discovered an infection in the flipper bone. The turtle was started on long term antibiotic treatment.

Kiwi was moved to WHSA on May 6, weighing 28 pounds. Staff and volunteers cared for the turtle and the WHSA veterinarians monitored its health. In July it was taken to Tufts Medical School for a bone scan that showed that the infection was healing. The turtle also appeared to have normal use of its front flipper and could be expected to hunt successfully, and the veterinarians decided the animal could be released back to the wild. The turtle was tagged with a PIT tag and two stainless steel flipper tags, and was also fixed with a satellite tag the day of release.

For information about the care of the turtles, contact WHSA veterinarians Dr. Bridget Dunnigan or Dr. Rogers Williams at 508 495-2229.