Rare And Endangered 475-Pound Leatherback Sea Turtle Returns To The Wild

Yawkey, an endangered leatherback sea turtle found washed ashore in the Lowcountry earlier this week is headed back to open water. The turtle was released today on the Isle of Palms, S.C. by the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

Representatives from the Sea Turtle Rescue Program and SCDNR worked together to transport the massive animal from the Aquarium to the Isle of Palms.

The team carried Yawkey in a custom container, donated by C-Con LLC, to the waterline and released the turtle back into the Atlantic Ocean. To ensure the safest return of Yawkey to the wild, the release was not open to the public.

The rare sea turtle, found by SCDNR on Yawkey-South Island Reserve near Georgetown, S.C. last Saturday, March 7, is one of the few live leatherback strandings reported in the United States, and the first in South Carolina history.

Despite being lethargic, there were no signs of external and trauma and blood work showed the animal to be in overall good shape. Sea Turtle Rescue Program team members are unsure of what caused the turtle to strand. During Yawkey’s stay in the hospital, the animal was given antibiotics, fluids and vitamins.

Over the course of a few days, the turtle immediately responded to treatments, enabling the Aquarium’s veterinarian to clear him/her for release. Due to the fact that leatherback sea turtles do poorly in a captive environment, it was priority for Sea Turtle Hospital team members to return Yawkey to the wild as quickly as possible.

Despite being cold-blooded reptiles, leatherback sea turtles can generate some body heat and can endure much cooler temperatures than other sea turtle species. Coastal water temperatures off of Charleston are approximately 58 degrees F, so Yawkey was acclimated to coastal temperatures in his/her tank by use of a water chiller. The turtle has been tagged by SCDNR with a PIT tag (microchip) as well as flipper tags.

Fast Facts:

• 475-pound endangered leatherback sea turtle returned to the wild after treatment at the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program
• Rare turtle was released on the Isle of Palms, S.C.
• First live stranding of a leatherback sea turtle in South Carolina
• During the spring and fall seasons, leatherback sea turtles migrate
• Leatherback sea turtles are listed as an endangered species
• Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles on earth
• For photos and video of the release click here

As patients such as Yawkey receive treatment and are released, it is important now more than ever to execute the planned expansion of the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital. In 2016, the Aquarium will open a state-of-the-art Sea Turtle Hospital on the Aquarium’s first floor.

This project will significantly grow the capacity to rescue, rehabilitate, and release threatened and endangered sea turtles such as Yawkey. The new facility will be equipped with triage units, a private intensive care unit, deeper tanks, an exercise pool, laser technology, and additional laboratory and life-support space.

The expansion of the hospital onto the Aquarium’s first floor will expose this transformational learning experience to our 430,000 annual visitors (only 16,000 visitors currently tour the hospital annually).

As a non-profit, the Aquarium looks to the community to support the construction of this hospital. To help  expand the sea turtle hospital, click here.