Turtles recovering at aquarium given flower-themed names ahead of Valentine's Day
BOSTON (TND) — Sea turtles who are getting lots of tender love and care at an aquarium in Boston were given flower-themed names in honor of Valentine's Day.
The New England Aquarium said the turtles are recovering from hypothermia-related conditions. They are being rehabilitated before their release back into the ocean, according to a news release.
Some of the names include Rose, Peony, and Marigold. The aquarium said it is also rehabilitating several loggerhead sea turtles, with names such as Water Lily, Dogwood, and Bird of Paradise.
The aquarium shared photos of the turtles receiving treatment.
This is the time of year when we shift our operations from triaging and stabilizing hundreds of turtles to the next critical phase," Adam Kennedy, who is the director of Rescue and Rehabilitation at the New England Aquarium, said in the release. "At this point, the focus is on those turtles that were too sick to be transported: Ensuring that the proper medical treatment is given, spending long hours coaxing the turtles to eat, and keeping a watchful eye on all of these animals' behavior."The release noted that the annual sea turtle cold-stunning season ended in mid-January, adding that the aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, Mass. treated nearly 400 live turtles that stranded along Cape Cod beaches in recent months. Several turtles were stabilized and sent to other rehabilitation facilities to free up space for new arrivals, but more than 50 turtles are still undergoing treatment at the Sea Turtle Hospital for life-threatening conditions, including pneumonia, sepsis, bone infection, and dehydration.
Many of these animals still have severe infections or other disorders that require intensive treatment and advanced diagnostics,” Dr. Melissa Joblon, who is the aquarium's director of Animal Health. “Some of them may require surgery such as joint debridement for bone infection, lung biopsy for chronic pneumonia, or exploratory gastrointestinal procedures to ensure they will be healthy enough for release by the summer.”The aquarium said its goal is to release rehabilitated sea turtles off Cape Cod into Nantucket Sound once the water temperature is warm enough this summer.
"Turtles that are ready to return to their ocean home sooner may be transported further south for release in the springtime," according to the release.
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