As Rehabilitation Manager at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, what do you do?
I oversee the hospital and rehabilitation pavilion. I also oversee the staff including the veterinary students and Americorp members working in rehab.
What did you study to do what you do now?
I have a general Biology background. I worked previously in husbandry at the Tennessee Aquarium.
How many turtles come in to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center?
We have been open for 12 years and have seen about 1500 turtles – 26 different species. But we don’t just rehabilitate sea turtles. We have a lot of native Georgia turtles dropped in too as well as Raptors and Shore birds. We don’t rehab mammals and song-birds.
Who brings injured turtles to you?
The public sometimes brings in injured Terrapins and turtles. The GA Department of Natural Resources also sends animals to us as well as the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife.
What made you want to start helping turtles?
I have always wanted to help turtles and wildlife. This is my dream job.
What is a story you love to tell about your job?
Some time back we received a phone call from a family member of a child dying of cancer. The child, Silas, had a passion for turtles and had done a lot of advocacy about turtles and fund raising for them from his hospital bed. We typically don’t do this but we named a turtle after Silas and got him in to the center so he could meet the turtle we would name after him. When Silas the Loggerhead turtle was going to be released back into the ocean Silas came out and helped with the release. He lost his battle with cancer but he impacted us profoundly.
What is the best part about rehabbing turtles?
Seeing them go back to the wild after we have rehabbed them through injury or disease. Turtles’ healing capacities amaze me every day. Releasing them back into the ocean is a very cool experience.
What can the community do to help turtles?
It really can be just making small changes like using reusable bags at the grocery store and not using one-use plastic products.
How many turtles nest on Jekyll Island every year?
204 would be a record year.
How many eggs does a turtle lay and how many of these turtles survive to adulthood?
Not a lot survive. Turtles become “teenagers” and reach reproductive age at 30 years old. There are very many threats in the ocean that they have to overcome to get to that age.
Do you put tracking devices on your turtles and if you do what kind of information does it give you?
From time to time. They are very expensive – both the device and the satellite time. It allows us to follow the turtle in the ocean and gives us information on its migration, also its depth and the water temperature.
What type of food do turtles eat when you are rehabilitating them and how much?
It depends on the specie. Green turtles are vegetarian. In the hospital all the turtles get hospital quality food. Green turtles get supplemented with cucumbers and bell peppers as this resembles sea grasses in the wild. Loggerheads eat crabs and crustaceans as well as sea grasses and algae in the wild. Before we can release a Loggerhead we make sure it is able to hunt for food. The quantity depends on their condition. If they are weak and thin we work up their food intake slowly.
What are the main problems for turtles and how can people improve to help them?
30 % of the turtles we see have recreational boat strike injuries. Sea turtles have lungs so must come to the surface to breathe and are often hit when they do so. Boaters need to be more aware of driving and not hit them. We also see a lot of marine debris cases. Fishing line tangles their flippers. Balloons and plastic pieces are being found in their stomachs. The public must make a better effort to pick up fishing line and garbage. Please visit www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org for more information.