Turtle Hospital
14 January 2017 | Marathon Florida
Joanne
A very short walk from the Marina is the Marathon Turtle Hospital. They have two ambulances and boats that respond to any calls about injured or ill turtles. A common problem for the sea turtles are large growths that form from pollutants such as pesticide runoff that poison their environment. The sick turtle is captured and undergoes surgery to remove the tumours. If they remain tumour free for one year they are released back to the wild with a tracking device to follow them. (tourdeturtle.org) The tour included the operating room which would rival any human operating room. If a turtle needs a cat scan or MRI they are transported to the local Fishermans hospital and are wheeled in for the procedure!
Another common injury is a turtle being hit with a boat propeller. The shell can crack and the tissues fill with air. This makes it difficult for the turtle to dive for food or shelter. At the hospital these turtles have a Velcro patch with weights attached to their shell to assist them. The release of a rehabilitated turtle is big news here and two weeks ago former President Carter was at Sombrero Beach to assist in the release. There are some permanent residents of the hospital. They must have vision in one eye and the use of three flippers in order to be released. Some of the turtles have lost their flippers due to entanglement in monofilament fishing line. There is also a blind turtle who is a permanent resident as he would not be able to feed himself in the wild. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour.